Follow You Anywhere
by Scream It Loud
Summary: -"We were on a suicide mission, and I knew that. No matter what Carlisle said, we were all going to die. But I can honestly say that, at this moment, I knew I would die knowing I was finally truly happy"-Kate. -BREAKING DAWN- .::Kate:Garrett::.
1. The Game

_The hunt. The hunt. That's all that matters—the hunt._

_This game will be easy; snap the neck, hide the evidence. The blood isn't important._

_Think of the new glossy black Ferrari you will have when you win this bet; think of Ashley's reaction when you ruin his undefeated record._

_Oh, victory is sweet._

_Slow down, Garrett, don't get distracted. The hunt comes first. Only the game is needed. The game. The target. The simple target._

_Oh what a simple-minded target._

_Too easy,_ I thought to myself. I felt a vicious grin slip from my control and onto my face. I quickly returned my expression to its earlier composure of careful concentration, only for Ashley's benefit. I know he's here watching. Like I even need to waste one moment of my concentration on a frail human. But let's not get too cocky now.

The victim Ashley has assigned to me was a business man who liked like he was about to hit forty. He had dark brown hair, but I smelled a hint of hair dye when he walked by. Trying to hide the grays, are we?

The bet Ashley made with me late last night was one I was waiting for my whole existence. I live for this game. We gamble such meaningless things that loose our interest in a few short years, but the rush of the sport is what it's for. We are challenged with a target to kill discreetly. We are judged on our control, quickness, and ability to hide all traces of the murder. Only the smart and experienced make it in this game. Only the smart and experienced make it in this life.

When the bet was made, there was no way I could back down. A challenge such as this was so compelling I had to accept. Ashley claims to have never lost a round of this game, and neither have I. Defeating him is the last challenge I can find, and I don't care how long it takes to beat him at his game, I will do it.

I can't say I was anything other than disappointed when he showed me my target. I was hoping for maybe a muscled man, who would at least try to put up a fight. That would be entertaining. Maybe even a drug lord would be challenging. All the body guards would be interesting and hiding the body would be more difficult with all the addicts looking for his merchandise. But a local business man? Where was the fun in that?

My victim—Sam Pierson—was pacing quickly down the sidewalk with a phone held up to his ear. "Yello?" he asked as he passed the bench I was sitting on. He didn't even give me a second glance.

Perfect.

Although he was probably ten yards away from me now, I could still hear his conversation as if he was talking to me. He was meeting a fellow business man in a money suit at a local restaurant in fifteen minutes. Could this get any easier?

Just as Mr. Pierson joined the crowd at the crosswalk, a bus pulled up to the stoplight. It was in intercity bus with an advertisement for a candidate for Senator: "Vote Sam Pierson, the Family Man". It had a picture of Sam, his wife, two daughters and a dog.

So this is what separated him from my other victims, he would be missed. Him dying would shake the city—the whole state of Connecticut. His family would be mortified. Friends, neighbors, local babies whose foreheads haven't yet been kissed by the great Sam Pierson.

Was he kidding me?

Did Ashley actually believe that I was a sentimental vampire? I had never heard such a thing. The wellbeing of humans never changed my decisions of anything. That's what separates us from society. What immortal would even think of putting a mortal's life before his own wants?

_Carlisle Cullen._

The name just slipped into my head—there was no way of blocking it. It's true, the man would put anyone before himself, humans included. He even went out of his way to save their lives. Once when he was passing through the colonies, he urged me to join him, to become his brother, to live amongst the humans as one of them, to take his diet of animal blood. I'll have to say, I was tempted. I was so close to taking him up on his offer that I almost forgot the life I have here. Life of power and pride, of the nonstop rush that comes with the game. I regret to say that I more or less told him to piss off.

But I couldn't think about that now, much less let the memory reach my face. Ashley was undoubtedly watching my every move, him and his panel of judges. If they saw any apprehension while I was on the hunt, they would definitely deem Ashley as the winner.

There was no way that was going to happen.

When Sam Pierson saw the bus, he smiled to himself. A winning smile. He was absolutely sure he was going to win this election, and I could use that as his weakness. Cockiness is an unfailing weakness that is so easy to spot. I hope he knows that he just lowered the difficulty setting of this game by about ten points.

Once the stoplight turned green and the pedestrians were allowed to walk, I quickly caught up with the crowd and blended right in.

Well, I thought I blended.

A man in a less expensive-looking suit than Mr. Pierson's glanced over at me walking beside him. The first glance was casual, but the double take showed the fear I injected into him and others around me.

I stared politely back, resisting the urge to growl and scare him enough that he would jump right in front of the moving cars in the other lane.

Maybe I could've changed my appearance just slightly so I could fit in with these humans better.

I was easily a head taller than everyone around me, and if that didn't draw enough attention, then my dark jeans and brown leather jacket definitely would. Not to mention my shoulder-length hair pulled back at the nape of my neck. Not exactly noon-time business man apparel.

Knowing Ashley, that was definitely points off my score.

But that didn't matter now, because Sam had just walked into the Yankee Silversmith Inn, right off of Colony Road. Showtime.

I waited a few seconds before entering the restaurant after Sam. I say "entering" because when you're a vampire and so inhumanly glorious to all these humans, you never go anywhere unnoticed. People are always looking—no, ogling—at you. It really helps a guy with no money get a free room from the female receptionist.

It was a grimly cloudy day, so not many people wanted to be out for lunch, which made finding my target easier, but going on unnoticed harder. I sat in the farthest corner table, opposite Sam Pierson, best to discreetly analyze his every movement. His lunch buddy hadn't arrived yet, so he pulled his laptop out from the briefcase and began working. I'll make sure his friend never sees him. He'll just be viewed as the rude politician who didn't decide to come to lunch. There goes one vote.

Like he'll make it to the election.

I stood up and walked over to Sam's table, composing my face into an expression of sheer gratitude and respect. I imagined how Carlisle would look in a situation like this, if he was ever forced into one. Guilt rushed through me when I thought of how rude I was to him, but I put it at bay so I could concentrate on the kill.

"Senator Pierson?" I asked Sam when I got to his table. I reached my hand out for him to shake it. "Shane Smith, Smith Buisness Card and Logo Printing Incorporated." Shane, because it could go with my appearance easily, Smith, because there are millions of Smiths in the country.

He looked at me from over the computer screen.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith, but I'm not senator yet." He looked at my outstretched hand skeptically, not wanting to shake it.

"Yet. But the future is near, my friend, and it is looking bright." I reached out and took his hand and gave it a gentle shake. Well, gentle to me—to him it was probably more pressure than expected.

When he noticed the temperature of my skin, I could see the first trace of fear in his eyes.

Beautiful.

"Well thank you, sir, I appreciate that." I could tell he was trying to hide his fear as he shot his Winning Smile, trying to gain another voter.

"You know, Mr. Soon To Be Senator, I couldn't help but notice your advertisement for the campaign on the local busses." I pulled a chair up beside him, all business. George Clooney couldn't do better acting.

"Oh, well, they are something aren't they?" He made a deliberate attempt to show he was busy doing something else, something he didn't need my help for.

"Indeed they are, sir. But what if I could tell you that I could do better?" I challenged. I don't know how easy this is for you to believe, but this, hands down, was my best performance yet. In my other hunts, I never had to do so much acting—it usually was handled by outsmarting the human, which, let's face it, isn't that hard. Lying like this wasn't difficult for me, but it did add a new element to the game.

"Excuse me, Mr. Smith, but I have the best advertisement money can buy," he retorted defensively. His hands were frozen on the keys and he was no longer looking at the screen, but instead right at me; his eyes had a hint of insult in them.

_I'll be adding insult to injury._

"Now, now, Mr. Senator, I'm not talking money. I'm talking service. I can give you a better advertisement picture and logo for less, guaranteed." I leaned back in my chair, trying to mimic a human's way of showing triumph. "If you come with me, I could show you." I added a little bit of menace in my tone, and I saw another flash of fear in his expression.

"Well, I'm meeting a colleague of mine for lunch . . ." He was trying to avoid my invitation. He could never avoid me.

"I insist!" I had to remind myself to talk at a human speed, which isn't easy when you're this close to the kill. Just the thought made venom pool in my mouth. "My office is just down the street." I pointed to the north, where the alleys are. The dark alleys.

"Well . . ."

"It won't take but a minute!" I persuaded. "Please."

I wasn't asking—I was telling, and he knew that. My expression must have helped him make up his mind, because he put his laptop back in the briefcase and followed me outside to the cloudy day, where rain began to sprinkle down.

I led him about a third of a mile down Colony Road, whistling as I walked. Sam stayed a few paces behind, not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to get near me. As he should.

We turned down the third alley to the right, claiming the front door was locked and the alley door would be closer to my personal office. When he wasn't looking, I went to the end of the alley and smashed the doorknob of an unclaimed office building with my hand and led Sam Pierson inside.

"Shouldn't we turn a light on?" He reached for a light switch.

"No, my office is just back here. Electricity bills," I explained. I chuckled and he forced a laugh. Strained, but a laugh nonetheless.

I led him to the back room that would serve as an office for now. He didn't look convinced, but his opinion can't be voiced for much longer.

"Now, if you like what we give you, you wouldn't mind using us for your next campaign, would you?" I grabbed papers off the desk, using them as props for paperwork and whatnot.

"We'll have to make it to this election first." He began to look more timid than before.

I laughed darkly. "Don't worry, you won't."

And I lunged for the kill.


	2. Change For the Worst

I'm not sure why or how long I was sitting there at the window seat, merely staring out at the rain pelting down, listening to everything. That's the one thing I miss about humanity—privacy. You can never get away from the all-listening eyes, nor can you ever stay away. It could be comforting in some ways, knowing that you are never alone in this half-life, but also irritating in the since that pure privacy is never an option.

I could hear Carmen and Eleazar discussing their next hunting trip in two days. I wasn't the only one listening to their conversation; Tanya joined them in the main room downstairs to request—no, _insist_—that they take Irina with them.

"She hasn't hunted in months. I worry about the control of her thirst. I will not allow her sorrow threaten the safety of this family." Ever since Sasha was killed, Tanya took the position as the leader of the household, becoming her role completely. She made decisions for all of us as a whole, occasionally without consulting us beforehand.

"As much as I love Irina, I cannot force her through this healing process, and neither can you. I'm sorry, but I do not feel this is the right thing to do." Carmen's voice had a ring of finality in it, and I could imagine her crossing her arms over her chest, knowing she won this argument. Although Carmen was the second oldest in immortal years, she was still very young when our mother made the decision to change her, and you could see it in her features when she stood up shamelessly to her older sister.

At this point, they would know everyone in the house would be listening, so I decided it would be best to join them in the main room. I sighed and walked at a dreadfully slow human pace down the stairs, trying to stall as long as I could. When I got to the main room, no one had even noticed I entered the room. Carmen and Tanya were standing in front of the two overstuffed brown couches in the room, only an oak coffee table between them, engulfed in their argument while Eleazar was staring unseeingly at his feet.

I sat at the armchair at an angle to the couch Eleazar was sitting at; I had a perfect view of the entertainment at hand. When Eleazar noticed me in the room, he sighed and rolled his eyes pointedly at the two center stage. I smiled sympathetically.

"I was just implying that it would be nice of you to show that you want to help maybe a little. You know, show you care about the well-being of your sister," Tanya said sweetly, a tone that didn't match the context or her narrowing eyes.

"_Si_, and I was just implying that you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped!" Carmen shot back.

I toned out the rest of the argument as best I could, but when Carmen started yelling in Spanish, I had enough.

"How about I take Irina hunting?" I didn't think before I spoke—a human flaw—but the words were out before I could stop them.

Carmen and Tanya froze and whipped their heads around to look at me in surprise, as if speaking was something I didn't do often.

"_You_?" Tanya asked in a clearly insulting tone.

"Is that not what I said?" It took all my strength to block all acid from my tone.

"Kate, Irina hasn't fed in _months_. You know how difficult she will be; you can't go alone with her." Carmen approached me. "What if she attacks you when she smells human blood?"

She reached out to touch my shoulder.

I sent her a medium shock that threw her backwards a few steps.

"I think I can defend myself." I made my way back up the stairs.

--

The exchange with Carmen and Tanya was mostly me making a point, but there was no way I was going back on what I said now. I walked down the hall on the second floor slowly—for me—until I got to the last door on the left. I knocked, no matter how useless it was—she already heard me coming.

"Irina?" I asked quietly when there was no answer.

Still no answer.

I opened the door slightly and poked my head in the room.

I had to stifle a gasp at the sight.

Irina's short blond hair was ratted in a tangled mess in the back of her head. Her eyes, black from thirst, were accented more by the dark circles becoming even more pronounced through the weeks of emotional torture. She sat on the yellow loveseat by the window, back strait and hands in her lap, but her face looked like it should be tear-streaked.

"Irina?" I repeated.

Her reaction to my words was belated, as if it took a while for my statement to reach her ears. After a few seconds, she cleared her anguished face of any expression, hoping to hide it from me.

"Isn't it funny how they all think they can talk about me without me hearing, like I don't exist?" she asked, forcing a small laugh.

Those are the exact kind of words the old Irina would've said, but these words were empty, meaningless, just there for show.

"So, do you want to go hunting with me?" I asked timidly, shyly, only because I was afraid she would go into hysterics again. Her spells were fewer and farther between, but they scared me nonetheless. Seeing my baby sister like this tore me limb from limb.

"I don't think I can," she whispered as her face fell back to it's anguished composition.

I rushed to her, wrapping my arms around her, comforting her as she sobbed silently into my hair. I have found that when she crumbles like this, I reminisce the old days, the days before Laurent.

Thinking his name was a relief, seeing as we aren't allowed to say it aloud, an unspoken rule. I could think his name and fill it with as much anger and hate as I pleased and no one could stop me. Our life was much better before Laurent. We had no grudge against the werewolves, the Cullens didn't see us as traitors and Irina was whole. Irina never needed a mate—she was perfectly happy with just us. Just _me_. Irina was more than a sister to me; we were connected at the heart, as silent as it is. Then Laurent came and began eating at that bond; then Laurent was killed and that bond was ripped. Now she will barely talk to anyone.

If the werewolves didn't kill Laurent, I would've.


	3. Dark Deeds

**Thanks for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated!**

**I guess I should have said earlier, I do not own any of the characters, they belong to Stephenie Meyer, yadda yadda and all that jazz. That is they only disclaimer you're getting, so I hope you paid attention!**

**Also, saying that this story takes place durring _Breaking Dawn_ might've been helpful, huh? Yeah, summaries are NOT my forte. Each chapter alternates between Garrett and Kate's points of view, so sorry if that confused anyone. I have to remember that you guys can't read my mind. But if you can, congrats!**

**Enjoy!!**

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Ashley's secret panel of judges approved of my performance with the would-be Senator, but Ashley himself wasn't so impressed. He claimed I left too many gaps open; too many people saw him leave with me at the diner, but I got the kill, didn't I? No one suspected a vampire killed the beloved Connecticut governor, just a past rival or a serial killer. But, of course, Ashley wouldn't give up until he made his point loud and clear.

"A waitress at the diner noticed how you wouldn't stop until he came with you to your 'studio'. There could be a search for you. Our existence could be exposed, all because Garrett refused to look at all angles," he argued. No matter how serious he seemed to make the matter, he still had a portion of a smile on his lips, perfectly at ease. He stayed lounged in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, angled to the left of me, who was sitting in one of two chairs across from him.

With all his won bets in this game, he had the cash to get a nice mansion in the D.C. area, three stories with a large office on the top floor, the desk in front of a massive window overseeing the estate. He, like me, never traveled from the colonial area. I stayed because some military part of me never wanted to give up my Patriot title, from the Revolutionary War; Ashley stayed merely because this is where our game was played. Though some participants roamed farther west and some over the Atlantic Ocean, taking the sport with them, every immortal knew this is where the champions were, in some case they ever wanted to challenge us.

"If you were so worried about me ruining our secret, then you wouldn't have made the bet in the first place, much less take part in this game for so long," I countered. "Besides, I left the body, blood and all. I also did a good job of making it look like a gun wound, if I do say so myself."

"But you didn't leave a bullet." Ashley's eyes narrowed and his smile grew more victorious, catching another flaw in my technique.

"Human authorities don't look this closely. Instead of looking for how he was killed, they will be questioning the prime suspects: anyone on his opponent's campaign." I could feel a dark grin form on my face as I imagined all the other innocent humans who would take responsibility for my actions that day.

Ashley's expression became more amused. "You really think you have this game all figured out, don't you? Well, guess what? You don't. You never will." He put his feet on the floor and leaned forward across the desk, closer to me. "That's the beauty of this game—it never ends! As long as mortals exist, so does our entertainment. As the human race advances, so does our game. Do you see a pattern forming here?"

"If you'll remember, Ashley, I have been involved in this game just as long as you have. I have seen how it changes over the centuries; how humans think they have gotten smarter. But I have also seen how they continue to overlook the small details, the ones that make all the difference." I never moved my position; I remained leaned back in the cushy chair, a small smile playing at the corner of my lips.

Ashley resumed his former position and raised an eyebrow.

"How about we just end this conversation now and you give me my Ferrari?" I chuckled.

He laughed also. "Oh no, my friend. This game isn't over yet."

Ashley and I didn't go over the rules before the bet was made. Most people don't because the rules never change. But what I didn't know was Ashley played by the old rules, the ones made during the Civil War times. Instead of me completing a challenge he gave me and me receiving a prize, I also had to come up with a challenge for him to face and a prize for him if he succeeds. Thinking things through wasn't ever my best trait.

I walked the rainy streets of Maryland, deep in thought. I was acutely aware, though, that I was the only person on the streets without an umbrella or raincoat, and that I was getting looks from all the passersby, the teenage kid who openly said I was crazy to his friends in particular. I seriously thought about making him Ashley's target, just so he would see what would happen if he crossed my path or the paths of anyone like me, but that would only be too easy for Ashley and not fun at all for me, not to mention I haven't got anything to give him yet. I decided to keep looking.

Ashley's reason for choosing my victim was to test me, to see if a still heart had room for compassion towards humans, and I proved negative. Finding a way to test him would only be fair, but how?

I continued to roam the busy streets, casting dark looks at anyone who looked at me first, when someone behind me screamed. Not a scream of fear, but of excitement. The other humans around me turned to see what the commotion was about while I continued on my way, then they all began wildly running, most still keeping a wide berth around me. But as more people joined the stampede, they began running into me.

Who did these humans think they were?

I muffled a growl and turned to see what the source of this rampage was.

_Oh._

It was that rising pop star, Kameron Homes, Maryland's sweetheart. She was obviously coming home to her family and friends, expecting the fame to follow her. As you can tell by the screaming fans, it did.

I sighed and decided I might as well _try_ to blend in, so I moved to the outskirts of the crowd, trying to look interested. I wasn't.

When Kameron successfully made it out of her limo, five other giggling girls followed, along with her parents. This girl is never alone, I realized. I looked around and noticed bodyguards all around the limo and surrounding area. If someone was to, I don't know, kill this beloved superstar, it would mean getting around all her obstacles she unknowingly surrounded herself with.

_Perfect._

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**Sorry, this chapter's kinda short. Kameron Homes was a fictional character I made up, so if your name just so happens to be Kameron Homes, me and your parents think alike! Take that as good or bad, it doesn't matter.**

**Here's some math for you guys:**

**Reviews=Me Happy=Good Chapters=Good Story=More Reviews and so on.**

**In short, REVIEW, DANGIT!**


	4. Improvised Revenge

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while . . . My school's basketball team was in a tournament this week and I'm a cheerleader, therefore I must go to every. Single. Game. Grr. I hate cheerleaders . . . ***To not sound hypocrytical, I will like to add that I think of myself as the anti-cheerleader. Non-blond cheerleader works, too.

**So, to make up for not updating, I have made a beautifully long chapter. Well, long based on what other stuff I've written so far. Hope you like it!**

* * *

"The pink looks good with my hair . . . But the blue one is new . . . He hasn't seen that one," Tanya mumbled to herself. Actually, she was talking to me, but I wasn't listening, so she might as well been talking to herself.

Although Edward Cullen's wedding isn't until tomorrow, Tanya insisted on finding the "perfect" dress today. With Carmen and Eleazar gone on their hunting trip and Irina wanting nothing to do with anything concerning the Cullens—she still held a grudge for them not allowing her to avenge Laurent—it left me as the unlucky soul to face the horrors that is Tanya's closet.

"Tanya, he's getting _married_. That does say that he isn't interested, wouldn't you think so?" I said with acid in my tone as she threw more rejected outfits at my feet, where the pile was slowly growing.

She whipped her head around to look at me, her strawberry waves bouncing with the movement. Her expression was defensive. "Kate, the Cullens are our _family_, and it's only natural that I'd want to look nice for our _family_." She turned back to the closet.

I exhaled sharply. "Tanya, we both know that's not what you're thinking and soon so will Edward if you don't watch it. One taste of what your real intentions are—"

"Blue or pink?" she interrupted, holding up two dresses.

I groaned and fell backwards onto the couch behind me.

My words are useless to the power of fashion.

After Tanya emptied her closet out completely, she still hadn't found a dress to wear, so she quickly filled it back up again and started all over. Oh how I wish I could've slept just for those few hours.

When I felt it was safe to escape, I made my way to the unused kitchen, where Irina was finally up and walking around.

"Hey," I greeted. Irina was staring out the window without really looking at anything, and she jumped slightly at my approach, as if she didn't already hear me coming.

"Oh, hi." She forced a smile. "I guess Tanya found a dress."

I laughed slightly. "No, not yet. I just didn't plan to stay around that long. There are so many other, _better_ ways of spending my time."

Her smile became easier and more pronounced.

She was silent for a moment. "So when Carmen and Eleazar come back in the morning, you'll be . . . leaving?"

The way she worded that obvious statement scared me—she made it sound like we were leaving for good, not just for a couple hours.

"Yeah. That is, if Tanya ever finds anything to wear," I joked, trying to smooth over that awkward moment.

It worked; she laughed.

I could never tell you just how much I love to see Irina like this—there aren't enough words to describe it. She is usually only this close to normal right after one of her spells of depression, when she resurfaces and realizes what she's said. Carlisle never believed us when we told him we feared Irina would do something drastic, like suicide. He said vampire's minds are more complex than humans, that having your entire being engulfed in sorrow wasn't likely, but we all thought otherwise when we heard what happened to Edward. He committed is entire existence to a human, and she had such an impact on his life that he was willing to end it when she was no longer a part of it. Rosalie was with us in Denali when she told Edward that Alice saw his Bella jump off a cliff, so we heard his reaction with our extraordinary hearing from across the room, even though it was only a phone call. We could hear is sudden intake of breath, then utter silence when he realized his love was gone. Was this how Irina felt about Laurent?

No, it couldn't be. After all, Alice had said Edward spent all his time sulking, more or less curled in a ball, his "distractions" merely a show; Irina was able to walk, talk, _act_ normal. You could almost see her old self in times like these, times when she could control herself.

But, like all great things, I knew it would end; she would soon go back to mourning for her love.

"You want to go hunting?"

Her words surprised me—it silenced me for a moment.

"Um. What?" I said when my silence didn't faze her.

"You offered to take me hunting yesterday, when you were talking with the others. I think that maybe I could handle it now. And I'm really thirsty," she laughed.

This sudden change took me off guard for a moment, and it took me a second to switch gears. I wondered if Tanya was as surprised as I was, but then I heard her putting everything back into her closet again, I knew she wasn't even listening. She doesn't listening to anything while she's daydreaming about _Edward_.

This was way too soon for her to get back to hunting, at least with only me accompanying her. But I figured it would be a while before she felt up to anything that didn't involve sitting in her room, so I took the chance while it was available.

"Yeah, sure," I smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "You know what? We could leave right now; make it a one-day trip. We'll be back about the same time as Carmen and Eleazar—they won't even miss us." Carmen would no doubt talk me out of this with some excuse like how I can't handle her alone, even though I knew I could take out twenty newborns with one touch. I know I can handle Irina for a few hours.

"Okay. We'll leave right now." She returned my smile.

We walked out the door and I never heard Tanya do as much as pause upstairs.

By my request, we didn't take the car. Irina never seemed suspicious, just thought I wanted to get her running. By running, our family could catch our scent and follow our trial, but we could outrun them—the car would slow us down. We raced the eighty miles in a strait line from our cabin to Denali National Park, where an abundance of moose are the best ways to fill an appetite.

Irina was exuberant as we ran—her laugh carried just above a whisper in the wind, but I could hear it crystal clear, as if my memories of her like this just a few years ago intensified the sound of it now.

The race ended neck-and-neck one-third of the way up Mound McKinley, where the valley below showed moose and caribou grazing where patches of frozen grass was melting in the mid-day sun. I could feel the venom pool in my tongue as I smelled the warm blood, and I knew Irina's thirst had to be ten times worse.

I tore my eyes from the scene in front of me that was making me ravenous to steal a glance at Irina, realizing that I hadn't checked for humans in the area; she would drink anything at this point, ignoring her self-control.

Her coal black eyes were scanning the area wildly, locking them for only a second on every option she had for hunt, choosing carefully which would be her target. I closed my eyes tight and sniffed the air, cautious to not follow a human scent if I caught one. Luckily, none were near, so I ran down the mountain towards the valley, Irina on my heels.

A small creek separated the valley into two sections and we went on opposite sides for the hunt. Irina quickly took down two moose as I slowly drained a caribou, savoring the taste. It had been so long since I hunted . . .

By now, the moose and caribou had scrambled from the valley into the surrounding wood and the hunt got interesting. Catching the game was still effortless, but it was slightly more interesting now. I was so caught up in the rush that I didn't notice the new scent in the clearing until I finished my second moose.

With my thirst fractionally subsided, I was able to clear my head enough to recognize the aroma filling the valley.

_Wolf._

I stood up quickly, analyzing my surroundings. Three—no, four—Alaskan wolves were coming to our hunting spot, knowing this is where the easy game was during the day. What they didn't know was that the game was either dead or on the other side of the mountain by now.

The wolves were under populated here, but I knew logic wouldn't stop Irina when she's spent who-knows-how-many months without quenching her thirst. The warm smell filled my lungs again and I had to resist the urge to lunge into the forest around us and pursue the wolves. _Imagine how Irina must feel now. . . _

I looked frantically for her in the clearing, but couldn't find her until she came behind me and hissed in my ear.

"Irina," I pleaded. My voice was hoarse and thick from just hunting, but she didn't seem to notice. Instead, she stared intently at the exact spot where the wolves were about to emerge from, her teeth slightly exposed.

"Irina, don't. We could go find—"

"No, Kate," she said with more authority than I have ever heard in her voice before. I was taken aback. "This is as close to revenge as I can get," she barely mumbled.

I watched with a dumbfounded expression as she darted forward just as the first wolf—the biggest, probably the leader—entered the clearing beside the creek. She growled viciously as she jumped on the wolf's back and I heard its spine break. The other wolves barked and lunged at Irina, trying to protect their leader. She easily held them off and drained the blood from the big wolf, laughing quietly.

When she threw the carcass across the clearing is when I realized the meaning behind taking revenge on the innocent wolves. She considered these Alaskan wolves as brethren of the werewolves in Forks, the werewolves that killed Laurent, the werewolves that the Cullens forbid her from killing in return. In some twisted way, she was making her own revenge.

The crazed look in her eye showed that taking one wasn't going to be enough for her—she was going for the others behind her now. I had to stop her or the park rangers will notice the quick decent of the wolf population and would be searching for another predator. We wouldn't be able to hunt in here for some time.

I crossed the valley and collided with Irina as she lunged for another wolf, pinning her to the ground.

"Irina, you have to stop," I urged through tight lips.

She hissed.

"This doesn't help Laurent," I reminded her.

She stopped her struggle and turned her head to look at me, her golden eyes showing all the hatred she felt towards me for saying his name.

She bared her teeth at me and growled, "Don't _ever_ say his name again." She tried to twist out of my grasp, but failed. "You can't judge me for felling this way—you haven't had this feeling." She continued to kick and struggle. "I _loved_ him, Kate. What can't you understand about that?" she whimpered.

I felt a wave of sympathy for my sister, which momentarily crushed my defenses; Irina leaped from my grip and ran to the retreating wolves. I pushed forward with my knees and grabbed her ankle and tripped her just a few paces from the trees where the wolves were hiding. A growl ripped from her lips and she kicked me off of her, throwing me back three feet. She is much stronger than I gave her credit for. I jumped again and clung to her back, slowing her fractionally. She clamped her teeth onto my arm, like nails on diamond. For a second, I was afraid she was going to attempt to rip it off, remove it from me until I painfully let the two pieces grow back together. But instead, she just hung on and gave a frustrated hiss. There was only one way to free her mind of this deranged rage. . .

_I'm so sorry, Irina._

I allowed the ever-present electric current flow freely over my body, empowering me for a moment. I let it pulse painlessly through me for a moment, then released the energy on the closest being—Irina. I could feel her body shutter under the pressure of the shocks, frozen mid-stride. I only sent a medium shock, but any voltage concentrated like this over an amount of time is sure to cause pain.

I hung to her shaking body for as long as my will would allow, then jumped backwards off her, watching as she crumpled to the ground.

I stood, watching her. I held my arms at my sides, fingers spread out, feeling the electricity course through my fingertips, ready for her to switch her anger to me and attack.

Instead of attack, she stayed on her hands and knees and turned her head to look at me. At first, she glared, then she realized what had just happened and a look of disbelief crossed her face. She stared unblinkingly at the creek behind me for moments before she ran into the trees, the opposite the way the wolves were going.

I started to follow her, but then decided it was best to let her go on her own. Besides, I knew I was the last person she wanted to see right now.

I sighed and made my way back home, where I was sure to have to answer questions.

* * *

**Whew, that was fun. **

**Reviews: good!**


	5. Tipsy

**I kinda took a while for this chapter, didn't I? Yeah, sorry. I need to work on that . . .**

**Thank you, _live-happy-forever-and-always_ and _Zombie's Run This Town _for being the only two reviewers for the last chapter. Especially to _Zombie's Run This Town, _because _live-happy-forever-and-always_knows there's a death pennalty waiting for her if she doesn't review. But I might as well thank both of you.**

**For those of you who didn't review, know that I'm not the kind of person who won't update if there's not many reviews--I don't think I'd last long with that. I write strictly for my own entertainment, I publish my writing on this because I like input on my stories. Come on, you can't say you don't like someone saying they like what you do! Please, we're only human.**

**That doesn't mean don't review, though. I still like--nay, _love_--reviews and the reviewers! I would give all of you a shiny black Ferrari, but I just don't have that kind of money. If I did, trust me, I would.**

**How about a pat on the back? A happy email from me? I'll happily oblige!**

* * *

For the days following, I watched Kameron restlessly, looking for a gap, one easy opening that would ruin my plan—I had to make sure Ashley would regret making this bet with me altogether.

There was no pattern in Kameron's schedule—there was something new everyday. Her first day home, she took pictures for all the local newspapers and went along with the endless interviews that would be in tomorrow morning's edition. The second day, she went to every radio station in the area and talked about her latest album, always saying this station was her favorite. The third day was more relaxed, eating at the best restaurants in town with her friends, driving her new Lexus, teenage stuff, all the while getting bombarded with autographs, crazed fans and paparazzi.

I only say one constant in her lifestyle: bodyguards followed her everywhere.

_Have fun, Ashley_.

His office was dark—it was after midnight, after all—and I didn't even wait for his human maid to announce my arrival, I just walked in.

"Garrett, it's almost been a week. I was beginning to think you were going to back out on our bet," Ashley said when I opened the door to his office, the hallway light illuminating the doorway. His voice held a smile.

"I don't give up that easily," I assured him and leaned against the doorframe.

"So I'm guessing you have found a target for me, am I right?" He propped his elbows on the desk and slid the large leather chair he was sitting in backwards slightly.

"Yes, you are." I smiled. "Quite a difficult one, if I do say so myself."

"Well, sit down"—he motioned to one of the two chairs in front of his desk—"and tell me about him."

"Not him, _her_," I said, sitting down in the other chair than the one he requested.

He raised his eyebrows. "And who might this mystery woman be, Garrett? I am _dying_ to know," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I threw an autographed picture on his desk. He picked it up.

"Kameron Homes?" he asked skeptically, his nonchalant façade gone.

"Is there a problem here, Ashley?" I couldn't help smiling. If he denied the challenge, I would automatically win. Although it would be too easy and not at all exciting, I still loved a good win. And a win against Ashley would _definitely_ be good.

"No, not at all," he said, scrambling to find composure. He set the picture on his desk, face-down. "Not unless _you_ find a problem, Garrett."

"Everything seems perfect here."

"Also for me."

I grinned as politely as I could and left the office. I walked the length of the hallway and down the stairs, ignoring the maid's frantic looks. She had obviously listened in on our conversation.

_Yes, Ashley. Definitely perfect._

I never made it my job to befriend other vampires, so the panel of judges for Ashley's hunt has one member: me. Of course, Ashley doesn't have to know about this.

Today was a particularly sunny day in the homey land of Maryland, USA, which had families happy and giddy on their weekend outings. This is the sort of day that will make you sing show tunes. Although, if you happen to be a vampire, this day wouldn't be so great. Actually, I can honestly say it sucks—no pun intended.

The August sun shone down through a cloudless sky and the people were walking in shorts and tank tops, soaking it up. I—as usual—stuck out among the humans by wearing long jeans, a long rain coat and hat, blocking the sun from touching my skin. If they thought what I was wearing was a sight, wait until they see how I'd look without all this protection. I'm sure a sparkling, bloodthirsty vampire isn't something they see often.

I made eye-contact with every human who looked at me, a serene expression on my face that still scared them. One man talking on the phone was forced silent by my look and couldn't look away. A small grin slipped on my face when he almost walked into a light post. Humans can be so entertaining.

Speaking of entertaining, a good hunt is sure to help this unbearable boredom. I'm not sure how much longer I can take watching humans almost knock themselves out cold.

On a Saturday afternoon, the few bars that are open don't have many people in them, and the people who are there are usually to heartbroken and drunk to even make a coherent sentence. Not as entertaining as I would like, but my thirst is better to be quenched before I loose control of it. Carlisle told me once that if I made any hint of our kind's existence known to mortals, there was an ancient family from Italy that acted as the punishers who would most definitely kill me for it. He said that keeping your thirst under control is the simple thing you have to do to make sure this never happens. I never knew if he was serious about these Italian vampires, but I never made a move to see for myself.

I found an Irish pub at the end of the block that was open, but only three people sat at the bar. The bartender was wiping down the tables.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked tiredly when I walked in the door. He didn't take a second glance at my clothing choice—I guessed he's seen worse.

"No, I'm just here to see a friend," I replied simply and motioned toward the man passed out, his cheek pressed against the oak bar, hair a ragged mess, his right hand clutching an empty glass.

The bartender just nodded.

I sat at a barstool beside the passed out man, quietly trying to wake him up, "John, come on, man, wake up." When that didn't work, I gently shook his shoulder, but all he did was drool more and grunt slightly. I tried as hard as I could to hide my frustration, but my will only went so far. "Will you just come on and get the hell up?" I asked in a frustrated whisper. "I'm kind of thirsty, John, and alcohol isn't gonna cut it."

He let go of the glass and rolled his head over away from me, the side of his face still pressed against the bar. I looked over at the bartender to make sure he wasn't watching and kicked the barstool from underneath "John", shattering two of the wooden legs. John hit the other two barstools beside him, knocking them over too, and looked around drowsily.

"Wah . . . Wahapund?" he asked, all his words slurred.

The bartender looked over at the commotion.

"John, dude, I told you sleeping at the bar isn't a good idea. You fall off the barstools, obviously," I said, trying to convince him and the bartender that he fell over himself, that he wasn't knocked over.

"Buh miname's noh John—"

"Come on, I'll drive you home," I quickly but roughly pulled him off the floor and outside. I dragged him to the row of cars parked beside the sidewalk, pretending one was mine. When I knew the bartender wasn't looking, I took John down the street and around the corner to the bad part of town, where alleys weren't hard to find.

"Who are you?" John was becoming more coherent, but I was sure his hangover was still there.

"That, my friend, is not important."

"Oh, my head . . ." He put his free hand—the left one, because I was dragging him along by his right arm—up to his forehead and stumbled over his own feet.

"I can see this isn't going to be easy," I mumbled to myself as I tried to help him back to his feet without slowing. I'll tell you, it wasn't easy.

_Yeah, good idea, Garrett. Going to a bar would be so easy. Tipsy over here is the simplest hunt we've ever had._

To make myself even more pathetic, I told myself to shut up.

We made it one more block before John started to puke up yesterday's meal. I groaned and pulled him into the nearest alley, glad to get this over with. Once he pulled his head back up and wiped his hand over his mouth he asked again, "Wow, do I know you?"

"No," I sighed. I didn't even have enough patience to come up with a nice comeback. The last words he'd ever hear wouldn't be as creative as other victims I've had, but it didn't matter at this point.

"Did Kelli send you—?"

I quickly broke his neck to shut him up.

* * *

**That chapter didn't go the way I initially planned, but, hey, what does? I had fun writing it! =]**

**I'm sorry if there's any typos--there's ice all over the roads (which is why I wasn't at school =] Hey, I'm not complaining!) and heating at this house sucks the big one, so it feels like my fingers are about to fall off everytime I type a word. If there's a misspelled word, blame my shivering hands.**

**Hope you liked it! And if you did, tell me about it! Or just say hi, you know, I don't care! Just review!**

**..**

**Please?**

**Thanks for reading! Please press the button to the bottom center and exit carefully. Have a nice day!**

**--Scream It Loud**


	6. Party Crashers

**Well, ello everyone!**

**Before you start reading, I would like to clear up one small, tiny detail. This chapter crosses more with _Breaking Dawn_ than any of the others have so far, and a lot of the dialauge was reused and recicled, so I'll be forced to say again, I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OR THE STORY LINE. Honestly, I don't own much of the story. I just rewrote Stephenie Meyer's book in a different perspective. That's all. Case closed. The end.**

**=]**

* * *

"_You what?" _Tanyaand Carmen screeched together.

"Kate, maybe this wasn't the best idea . . ." Eleazar started.

"'The best idea'? A bit of an understatement, wouldn't you say, Eleazar?" Tanya threw her arms in the air. "Our sister is _gone_! Ugh, I knew we shouldn't let them go by themselves," she mumbled to herself and began pacing through the gap between me and Carmen; Eleazar was sitting, completely relaxed, on the couch.

"Can I say something—anything?" I asked, this time not bothering to block the sarcasm from my tone—there was no point now.

Everyone froze and looked at me—Eleazar had a completely interested expression, as if anything I said would intrigue him; Carmen looked stressed, she dropped her hand from her brow and met my frustrated look, her eyebrows pulled together; Tanya looked . . . I'm not sure. Too furious for words. The electricity pulsed through me once, an automatic defensive reaction.

I paused for a moment—no one in this household ever listened to me that quickly. "No one ever said Irina wasn't coming back, or even where she's going." Although, everyone had a pretty good idea. _La Push. _But I wasn't about to say that out loud. "Maybe after she gets over this little rage, she'll come back. She has no where else to go, anyway," I concluded, crossing my arms.

"Kate, just because she has no where to go doesn't mean she won't find another place," Carmen said soothingly, as if I was a child on a temper tantrum. "Maybe we should just forget this happened for the moment"—that comment was met by a startled gasp from Tayna—"and relax, for Edward and Bella. We leave for their wedding in a few hours." She looked at Tanya from the corner of her eye, just like I did. We were both looking for Tanya to go into denial—why would Edward marry a human when he could have her?

You have no idea how many times I've heard that question.

* * *

Being back in Forks was such a great thing for me—the air that always felt as if it had just been washed clean by a rainstorm helped clear my head and at least _act_ like our life was just as it has always been. I knew Edward would know better, but he wouldn't tell the others and ruin the festivities.

We arrived at the front step and were greeted by Carlisle.

"Welcome! Thank you so much for coming!" he said, arms outstretched, a huge smile spread across his face. He was seriously glowing.

"It's the least we can do!" Tanya trilled, meeting his open arms and giving him a casual hug. "Where are the bride and groom?"

"Bella is upstairs with Alice—she's helping her get ready," Esme replied, who had come out of the kitchen, where beautiful trays of food lined the draped dining table. I'm sure they were delicious. "And Edward is speaking with the guests."

"Oh, then we shouldn't make him come looking for us!" And, just like that, Tanya was walking at a barely human pace down the isle where Edward was shaking hands with the human guests.

"Edward!" she called.

Carmen and I followed her to greet the groom while Eleazar stayed behind to talk with Carlisle; Esme went back to the kitchen.

"Ah, hello, Tayna," he said, smiling. I knew saying this was hard, knowing what Tanya truly felt about a man to be married, but I don't think anything—not even Tayna's shameless lust—could stop his euphoric mood.

"Oh, Edward, it's so good to—"

Rosalie began playing the wedding march at the grand piano by the staircase.

"I believe that's my cue." He smiled again and walked to the altar, where the preacher stood, but there was a gap open—there wasn't a best man?

We all turned to see Alice walk down the grand staircase as the Maid of Honor, looking absolutely stunning in an above-the-knee sliver dress. It was simple with its spaghetti straps and intricate lace on the hem, but it flowed over her figure flawlessly, taking everyone's breath away.

If the way Alice looked to their breath away, they were sure to have a stroke when Bella made her appearance.

Her head was down as she walked down the stairs, concentrating on her footing. Her hair was curled and braided to perfection, piled on top of her head with perfect ringlets flowing down her back. The man at her arm—who I assumed to be her father, Charlie—was pink around the ears, obviously just as shy as Alice said Bella was about crowds.

The moment Bella took in the crowd around her, her cheeks flushed the same color pink as her father's and her eyes went back to her feet for a fleeting second, her thick eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks. When she looked up again, she looked right at Edward, who was beaming. From that moment, she didn't seem unsure of herself again.

As Edward and Bella took their vows, I was forced to question how someone could fall in love so easily. Despite their many differences—species, for example—they still found a way to love each other, and the reason was unknown to me. But, in reality, does anyone know? Does anyone even question it as I do? These two didn't question themselves as they stood at the altar saying "I do". They truly believed that they could find anything they wanted in each other, as if it was just that easy. Carmen and Eleazar also seemed that way; their relationship just seemed so effortless, as if each was made strictly for the other. The same went for Irina and Laurent. Though I would never admit it, I could see how they loved one another. They seemed almost perfect together. But even perfection has its flaws. Laurent's love for my sister didn't stop the fact that he had promised another female revenge on her dead mate, who was killed by the Cullens. If he truly felt for Irina as Edward did for Bella, wouldn't his will to live be increased when he had a reason to live? Did Irina's position in the matter not affect him at all? Did he ever even _really_ love her, or did he just lie to her for convenience, pulling her along for the ride? And look at Tayna—the object of her love doesn't even feel the same for her; he's getting _married_! But even if the affection isn't returned, the love still doesn't go away. I think I might stay away from the whole idea of love altogether. My life is complicated enough, thank you.

"You may now kiss the bride."

And they did so.

* * *

The wedding flowed beautifully to the reception—no doubt Alice's doing—and the music played instantly, barely disturbing the breathtaking twilight view over the treetops.

The dance floor was on Esme's gorgeous porch, everything draped in something white—the tables with white tablecloths, the chairs with over-sized white bows, and the twinkling lights above had white ribbon streaming down. The only color in the decoration was the colorful flower bouquets that dotted the ceremony.

As soon as the happy couple was outside, everyone made a line to congratulate them.

"We should go say something . . ." I mumbled to no one in particular. All four of us were standing by an empty table, feeling uncomfortable. Of course, we wouldn't show it, but the excess of pulsing blood and August heat around us put us all on edge.

"Yes, of course," Carmen replied, seeking composure in any form.

When everyone else remained standing in their original position, I groaned inwardly and made the way to the line of congratulating guests. I took only two steps when I smelled a musty, woodsy smell that forced me to wrinkle my nose. There was a pulse with the scent, but it wasn't completely human . . .

I froze when realization hit me.

_Werewolf._

My lips curled over my teeth for a fraction of a second, then Carmen took my arm and forced me to relax, ignoring the mild shock that I had to restrain from becoming stronger.

"It's okay, Kate. Carlisle said he's not like the others," Eleazar whispered in my ear. "He wasn't even one of them when it happened."

I knew I shouldn't be upset about seeing a werewolf, but I couldn't help myself. Not only was his smell revolting, but his kind also tried to kill the rest of our family because of this marriage. Everything that happened to my family lately, the werewolves had something to do with it.

I saw Jasper and Emmett look over in our direction, concern written on their faces. Jasper subtly reached his hand out towards us, silently asking if we needed help. I shook my head no and forced a smile. It didn't convince him.

"Let's just get over there." I took the next few steps.

I kept back long enough to let a few of their human friends take their turns hugging the bride and shaking hands with the groom before we walked over to them. Tanyatook her spot in front of us.

We smiled as we approached the couple, taking in Bella's appearance. She was absolutely beautiful in her dress, the fabric following her figure as if it was made especially for her. Which, knowing the money Alice would have put into this, it probably was.

Tayna, without even saying a greeting, reached out to embrace Edward, and I could see how Bella held her breath as she did so.

"Ah, Edward, I've missed you," she crooned while still holding him.

He chuckled and somehow made it out of the stranglehold to put his hand on her shoulder, pushing her back at arm's length. He looked over her dress, as if to get a better look of her. "It's been too long, Tayna." _Oh, but not long enough. Trust me._ "You look well."

My gaze dropped momentarily. There was only reason why any of us wouldn't be well. Who was thinking about Irina? I quickly rearranged my features to suit the mood, but I know Edward noticed what I was truly thinking.

"So do you." Don't tell me she didn't even notice the meaning of his words. She can be so oblivious!

"Let me introduce you to my wife," he said, clearly reading her thoughts. He said it with such satisfaction that I thought he would just burst. I thought about how that must put Tanya back a few steps, and I laughed in spite of myself. I heard it mirrored by my family around me.

"Tayna, this is my Bella."

Tanya eyed Bella for a moment, then reached out to take her hand.

"Welcome to the family, Bella," she said to my satisfaction. If she was upset with who Edward chose for a wife, she didn't show it. "We consider ourselves Carlisle's extended family, and I _am_ sorry about the, er, recent incident when we did not behave as such. We should have met you sooner." _Yeah, I'm sure you wanted to, Tayna._ "Can you forgive us?" she pleaded.

"Of course," she answered breathlessly. "It's so nice to meet you."

"The Cullens are all evened up in numbers now. Perhaps it will be our turn next, eh, Kate?" she hinted to me, grinning.

I decided it was best not to make rude comments at this happy time, so I just said, "Keep the dream alive," and rolled my eyes.

I took Bella's hand from Tanya and squeezed it as gently as I could. "Welcome, Bella," I said with the truest sincerity.

She gave an awed grin in response.

Carmen put her hand on top of mine, which was still holding Bella's. "I'm Carmen, this is Eleazar"—she motioned to Eleazar behind her—"We're all so very pleased to finally meet you."

"M-me, too," Bella stuttered.

Tanya glanced at the line that was steadily growing behind us. They were crowded so close together in order to keep a good distance from us that I could feel the static electricity emitting of them as their clothing rubbed together.

"We'll get to know each other later. We'll have _eons_ of time for that!" Tanya laughed as we all moved on to let the others get their chance to hug the bride.

Now, a few couples here and there had made their way to the dance floor and danced to the slow and heartfelt music playing from the invisible speakers hidden around the party. Eleazar offered his hand to Carmen, and they too were twirling with the music.

Which left me and Tanya to sit at the table.

Tanya was people watching, fascinated by all the humans here and how they weren't afraid to come into a vampire's home. I wondered about this, also, but then I remembered that the Cullens didn't tell all these humans what they were—not only would that cause a nation-wide epidemic, but the Vulturi would step in before it got this far.

I looked at each guest's outfit, absently wondering where they bought it. I did anything to distract myself from the fact that a _werewolf_ was here. It shouldn't bother me like it does, but knowing that the werewolves had their part in my sister's depression and the reason for her to be Missing In Action put me on edge. After everything they did to our family—which automatically involved Carlisle's family—how could they dare show their faces to us?

I watched as Bella was swept across the dance floor by different partners, all smiling and congratulating the bride. Each got one dance, with Edward so graciously standing back and letting them have their turn—he'd have forever with her, anyway—until one blonde boy in his late teens with a baby-ish face danced with Bella. After only a few seconds, Edward cut in and twirled his wife in graceful movements.

"Hello, ladies," a voice said from behind.

The greeting didn't startle me, but I couldn't help the small shock coming from my body when a hand rested on my shoulder.

"_Hey_!" Emmett pulled his hand back.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized timidly.

"No problem," he said, flexing his large hand.

"Enjoying the party?" Tanya asked.

"We'll tell you when Alice stops giving us jobs to do," Jasper said, smiling. "This is our first free moment."

"You do everything she says?" I countered playfully.

"You would too, if she threatened you," Jasper said, suppressing a smile.

"What kind of threats?"

Emmett shuddered. "You don't want to know."

Tanya and I laughed.

The next hour passed easily, filled with chatter and a quick dance with Emmett, who wouldn't stop laughing at the looks we got from the surrounding humans.

Then I smelled it again.

I knew I wasn't the werewolf that was already there, because Emmett also tensed at the new scent. We turned around to where the trees thickened and saw Edward and Bella with a tall, dark boy with hair looking like he was attacked by rouge scissors.

Emmett cursed.

I quickly tracked down Tayna, Carmen and Eleazar and we stood, watching, although we had no idea what was going on. Eleazar stopped Carlisle and asked why so many werewolves were around, so quietly only we could hear him.

"It's a wedding present, I'm guessing," he replied.

"For _who_?" Tanya asked incredulously.

"Bella." And he was gone.

"Why would Bella want so many werewolves at her wedding?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think it should concern us," Eleazar assured me. "Besides, what's two werewolves to eleven vampires?"

Then we caught whiff of six more.

Eleazar grunted.

I looked around; no one seemed to notice the bride and groom missing. Nor did they notice that Emmett and Jasper were tensed to run at full speed to their brother or that Rosalie and Alice was frozen behind the food table.

When Edward began walking back to the reception, I told myself to relax—if he trusted them enough with his wife, then I should be able to relax, also. But I couldn't make myself do it.

The seconds seemed to turn into hours as we watched the human and werewolf dance for three songs.

"What do you mean? Have a real honeymoon? While your still _human_? Are you kidding? That's a sick joke, Bella!" I could hear the werewolf's words from fifty yards away, and so could the others. As Bella tried to defend herself, he wrapped his large hands around her shoulders and began shaking her.

"Jake!"

I hissed quietly, making sure no human heard me.

I _knew_ werewolves couldn't be trusted. This one would lose control and kill a newlywed before she can even make it to her honeymoon.

Eleazar tensed behind Kate, but Carlisle's hand on his shoulder stopped him from helping as Edward, Jasper and Emmett went to the wood and confronted the huge black wolf that emerged from the trees.

"It's okay. They have it under control," Carlisle soothed.

Edward walked back to the party with Bella wrapped in his arms, both closely flanked by Jasper and Emmett. Alice and Rosalie continued mingling with guests, acting as if nothing had happened.

Carlisle patted Eleazar's shoulder twice and walked back to the house where Esme was sure to be watching from the big window taking up the entire back wall.

I watched, mouth agape, as the werewolf in the woods shook uncontrollably, then ran deeper into the forest, morphing into a giant, reddish-brown wolf. The sight was so disturbing and I'm sure I wouldn't ever forget it as long as I live.

* * *

**This chapter was a smidge longer than the others, but I was on a roll and couldn't stop! Also, I'm leaving for Springdale tomorrow for my friend's cheerleading competition (yes, that's just as preppy as it sounds. Don't judge the sport, just the blonde ones who do it because of the short skirt.) and we won't get back 'til early Sunday morning, and I consider this making up for that. I would update Sunday, but who wants to update on SuperBowl Sunday? Not me!**

**You're lucky I even found the will power to finnish the last few lines of this chapter, because a _What I Like About You_ marathon's on and I'm missing it, just for this story. Dangit, story, feel special!**

**If you don't mind, would you review? Please? I'm asking nicely over here!**

**--Scream It Loud**


	7. Letters

**I know, it's been a while, huh? Well, at least for this story. I published a one-shot yesterday that helped my writers' block. Granted, it wasn't my best work and I won't be getting any award for it any time soon, it really helped me get back into writing. Slowly. **

**This chapter is really short compared to my other chapters, but I'm taking it step by step (or, like what my Spanish book is titled, _Paso a Paso_) and I'm starting with baby steps for now. I'll get back to it later.**

**I might go back and rewrite this chapter later and add more to it, but I'ma keep it as it is for now. **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

After throwing "John" in the nearby Dumpster and making sure there wasn't any sign of his blood, I went back to the hotel I stayed in when I had nothing better do to.

I lounged on the spring mattress bed that was crammed in the corner below a large water stain that covered the ceiling. The walls were yellowed, the mirror was split down the middle, and the window didn't shut all the way, so I could hear the angry couple in the apartment building on the other side of the alley yelling at each other in Spanish. I would've been able to hear it anyway, but the open window only made it worse.

In short, it wasn't the best hotel in New England, but, hey, I'm not sleeping here anyway.

This was always the most boring part of the game—the wait. I had to wait for Ashley to find me a victim, and now I have to wait for him to accept the victim I chose. I seem to be waiting on others for a majority of my life—or existence, or hellhole, or whatever you want to call it. Potato, potato, as I like to say.

Now I could hear a few bikers slamming on the elevator button that is usually stuck, stomping on the ground as they cursed each other and the crappy hotel. This is one of those recently frequent times that I wish I could sleep. For my improvised sleep, I closed my eyes and attempted to clear my mind of all thoughts that attuned to anything around me . . .

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Um, Mr. Cooper?" a woman said from the other side of my door. By the way her voice sounded, she was small and skinny, probably with weak bones that would be easy to snap.

I opened the door.

"Yes?" I asked as politely as I could. I'll have to say, it was difficult. Can these humans not see that I am trying—_trying_—to sleep?

Her mass of frizzy black hair that puffed up from her head visibly shook with her body in fear at my appearance. Thanks for the flattery, sugar.

She hesitated a moment, trying to recover from my rugged looks, before saying, "You have a letter," in a quiet voice.

"Thanks," I said, taking the letter from her as gently as possible and shutting the door in her face before she had the chance to say "You're welcome" or walk away.

As I shut the door, I realized I had broken the doorknob. Beautiful. I didn't even notice I had done that. I need to watch what I do around humans more closely.

I opened the letter carefully as not to tear the paper in half before I even got to read it. It said:

_You are formally invited to the marriage of _

_Isabella Marie Swan  
__  
and  
__  
Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen_

_On the date of August Thirteenth  
__  
At five o'clock pm_

_At the Cullen family house_

_Forks, Washington_

August thirteenth? August thirteenth . . . August thirteenth . . .

What was the date today . . . ?

I looked over to the digital clock on the nightstand beside the bed. In the bottom right corner, it said today was the fourteenth. Either the clock was off by a day, or I had missed the wedding . . .

But who is this Edward Cullen? I thought Carlisle lived alone.

I kept the note in my hand and tossed the envelope on the bed, when I saw a white something flutter onto the floor by my feet.

It was another letter.

_**Garrett,  
**__**  
I know you are probably getting this wedding announcement too late—it was quite difficult to find your address—but I still  
felt obligated to tell you of it. My son, Edward, is now married to Isabella (who we like to call Bella) and are now on their  
way to their honeymoon on the island I bought as a wedding present for my wife seventy-three years ago—**_

Whoa, whoa, wait. Carlisle is _married_? As in, he has a mate? I'll

have to say, this is news to me.

_**It has been long since I last saw you, and I wish to see you again. Much has changed, Garrett, since I left you in Pennsylvania and moved west. I am married and have five (soon to be six) other vampires that live with me that I consider my children. Yes, I am still a doctor and I still take care of those—what did you call them?—bloodbags. **_

_**I wish I could have found your location sooner—it would have been great for us to see each other again; I miss my brother greatly.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

**Carlisle**

I stood there holding the note for God knows how long, just staring at it.

He still considered me his brother, even after I abandoned him in his quest for a "better existence". Carlisle was a strange creature.

But a strange creature who did manage to make a better life for himself and seven other immortals. I shouldn't have underestimated him those years ago. Why did I see a civilized life as so out of place for our kind when he mentioned it?

Oh yeah, I know why. Because our kind are _animals_. Vicious, barbaric _savages_, and I accepted this long ago. A dog might be able to be domesticated, but a wolf can't be.

And I will stay forevermore a lone wolf, as it should be.

* * *

**As hard as I might try, I cannot by any means make that last line less corny. It took me a while, but this is all I got. I say it works for now. **

**I managed to write this chapter in a matter of a few hours--from the time I got home from school to now--and I'm actually kind of proud of it. I don't know if it's because it's the first chapter I've written in what seems like eons, or because I actually think it's good, but I don't actually want to think about why. I've learned that when you question great things, they come back and bite you in the butt. I don't want that. **

**I'm going to a basketball game tonight (senior night) and I won't be able to read any reviews or anything as such until late tonight or tomorrow morning, but I will reply however many of them that allow me to. You have my promise. And if you don't want to review for your own odd reason, at least drop in to say "hello". Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, for crying out loud! Show the love!**

**Happy Friday the Thirteenth! =]**


	8. Death Wishes

**Okay, it's fixed!**

**This chapter has had the wrong content in it for a while, but I finally got the chance to fix it! Now this story will hopefully make more sense.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Once Edward and Bella left for their honeymoon, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out. I was so desperate I did one thing that no one in our family ever did—make a decision without Tanya. It was easier than I thought; I guess the others felt as I did. Or Tanya realized Edward wasn't there anymore, so there was no reason to stay. After we pulled Eleazar away from Carlisle, we were on our way back to Denali.

Once we were safely in Alaska, I felt it was safe to talk.

"Who was the werewolf?" I asked Eleazar in the driver's seat. I just assumed that he knew, because he was talking to Carlisle all evening.

"He was young—only fourteen. Clearwater, according to Carlisle. He is a close friend of Bella's."

The werewolf who shook Bella didn't look only fourteen, nor did I think Bella would be attracted to a fourteen-year-old werewolf when she was engaged to Edward. The one that congratulated Edward and Bella looked young, though . . . Wait—"No, not the little one. The one that caused the commotion," I clarified.

"Oh, an even closer friend." Carmen turned to look at Eleazar from the passenger seat just as Tanya and I leaned forward slightly in the backseats.

"Black, Jacob Black. His dad is a friend of Charlie's. He got to know Bella last year, even before he started to morph." Eleazar's face turned grim. "About the time the Cullens left."

So I'm guessing the Cullens left without Bella this last time, otherwise she wouldn't know the werewolves in Forks. I'm also guessing it was one of Edward's attempts at being noble, his chance to protect Bella from what we are.

He might be the one who can read minds, but he is just so easy to read it doesn't take mind reading.

Other than that small conversation, it was a quiet ride back to our house. No one talked about Irina, but I knew we were all thinking about her. Once inside the doors of our large log cabin, I went to my room, not wanting to be around when Tanya pulled the leader card and started a search team. I'm not sure how I could handle that just yet.

I didn't bother shutting my bedroom door. Instead, I left it open so I could see into Irina's open room, which was right across the hall, door ajar. I don't know why I was looking, it's not like I actually thought she would just come jumping through the window smiling, no scent of wolf blood on her. But I did wish it.

Through her window, I could see the moon glowing orange amongst the stars, and I began counting them. Call me OCD, but counting things helps when I'm anxious or upset about anything. If you use all your concentration on the numbers of certain things, it erases all other things in your mind, even vampire minds, which are much more complex and acute, compared to any mortal's. The trick is to not notice that you aren't thinking anything; once you ask questions, you get answers, and answers are not what you want when you ask "How can I be so calm?"

Somewhere in my mind, I heard Carmen and Tanya talk quietly downstairs, but I didn't pay attention enough to hear what they were saying; I was too busy counting.

One thousand, two hundred and thirty-four stars later, I heard Eleazar say, "Kate, are you okay?"

"Yes," I said in a small voice, not taking my eyes off the sky.

He apparently wasn't convinced, because he sat at the couch behind me and tugged on my wrist. "Sit. Relax."

"I am relaxed," I replied, my voice growing tense.

He pulled on my arm. "No, you aren't."

I snapped my head around to glare at him. "Yes, I am," I said firmly, sending a shock to his hand on my arm.

He pulled his hand back and put both his hands in his lap. He didn't look offended, but I knew he was. Most people are when I do that. He looked at me impassively as I opened the window beside the couch and jumped.

I ran and ran until I came to the Rocky Mountains that march up from the continental U.S., through Canada and creep into secluded Alaska. Though these aren't the biggest mountains in the range, they still go high enough that the average hiker wouldn't be here after dark.

As I ran, I allowed myself to think of Irina, of the werewolf that threatened to hurt my new cousin, of Laurent and his conflicting promises, but I did so unwillingly; it was hard to count the stars while running under the cover of numerous trees.

Once I made it to the nearest mountain peak, I dropped to the ground and resumed counting the stars, lying on my back with my limbs sprawled out. I barely broke three hundred when I noticed the dark clouds rolling in from the west, covering up the glittering stars; the moon was already halfway hidden. As I lay there, I felt the electricity emitting from the storm clouds, and I absorbed it, allowing it to course through my body. I rubbed my hands together and saw the green static shock when I pulled them apart. The tiny spark wasn't enough. I pushed all the electricity in my body towards my right hand, watching the sparks crack between my fingers. I watched as my hand began to shake from all the watts of electricity gathering and growing in my hand. I slowly pulled my hand into a claw-like shape, letting the static make _snaping sounds on my fingertips. The feeling was empowering. I almost smiled when I threw my hand over my silent heart, letting myself shock my dormant organ to life for one beat._

_I pulled my hand away quickly. _

_The feeling that came with the forced heartbeat was hollow and empty, not how I remembered from my human days. I can't count how many times I have imagined having a beating heart again; feeling the blood pulse through my veins, but this was nothing like it. There was no blood in these veins, nothing for my heart to pump. My body was dead._

_But it was the closest I could get to a pulse._

_I put all my energy into my hand again, and pushed it from my hand to my heart, feeling it pump uselessly._

_After a few minutes or seconds or however long it took, I was panting on the ground, all energy wiped out of me, a feeling I have never had since being immortal. No matter how much I willed myself into doing it, I didn't have enough energy to even absorb the static from the clouds that were almost directly above me now, sending bolts of lightning down in my direction, as if urging me to keep bringing my dead body back to life. I relaxed every tense muscle in my body and continued counting the stars, not allowing the idea of shocking myself return to my head. I hadn't even counted to six before I saw a star fall right out of the sky, bringing back a human memory of me lying in an empty field with my sister, Ann, our blonde hair spread around us. We would lie in that field for hours at a time, and, although the memory was hazy, I remembered us making wishes to each other and our family on the shooting stars we saw._

_I closed my eyes and wished for Irina's safety._


	9. Ancient Promises

**Okay, so we are nearing the final stretch of pointless fillers before we go to the Cullen's and the story gets interesting. Can you stand it?**

**Well, I can, because I never find time to write anyway. =]**

**But I will update whenever possible, so please don't stop reading! I love the reviewers! Love you all! I would give you a hug, but a) this is a computer and b) you don't know me personally and I don't know you, therefore it would be creepy. But I so would!**

**I'll warn you now, this is definitely my least favorite of my chapters. I think it's just because it seems gappy or something (if you can think of a better adjective, please share) but I might be a little biased. The final **judgement** is up to you. I don't like to be told my writing sucks, but if it helps the story as a whole, I'd handle it. I'd get over it, anyway. I might go back and redo this chapter later if I really don't like it, but I'm not sure at this point. This story isn't in complete form in my head before I write it, I just wing it. And my mind works in strange ways, so there's no telling what would happen if I just let my mind wonder freely. Ugh, that's a scary thought . . .**

**Well, if it wasn't for my dearest friend, _live-happy-forever-and-always_, this chapter would remain unfinnished and you would not be reading this at this very moment. If she hadn't yelled "UPDATE THIS WEEKEND!" at me in our high school parking lot Friday after school, I wouldn't have even remembered to, much less even mustered the will power to force this story out. **

**Wow, that makes me sound like I'm writing constipated or something . . .**

**Anyway, this is for you!**

* * *

We met at dawn, a block away from the target's house.

"So, Garrett, I trust that you have a panel of judges together?" Ashley asked me once I was in view, which was still two blocks away. I'm sure that if any humans saw him, they would think he was a drunk talking to himself.

I waited until it was humanly possible to talk to him.

"Well, I should, given that you trust me so much." I tried not to allow juvenile sarcasm into my tone, but failed miserably.

"But do you?" he countered smugly, like he knew something. Did he know I didn't have any judges for him?

He didn't wait for me to answer. "Because I brought along some witnesses, given the chance you failed to provide any."

He motioned to the vampires behind him.

The first was a short male with jet black hair, no more than sixteen, but his stiff features and nonchalant composure showed he has been immortal for some time now, maybe centuries; the second was a tall and lean blonde male, one who'd look like they belong in one of Jane Austen's novels; the last was a redhead female, just as tall as the blonde male, with an angular nose and hawk-like eyes. Each vampire's irises glowed with red satisfaction of thirst.

"I thought you trusted me enough to know I'd supply some," I said offhandedly.

"Well, can I see your judges?" He asked still smug.

"Don't you trust me?" I asked, a sly grin on my face.

"No, I don't, actually," he replied with the outmost sincerity.

I thought for a moment. "And that is smart."

He laughed lightly.

"But that doesn't mean that I approve of these witnesses," I informed him.

"Oh, but it doesn't matter—it's too late now! Where could you ever find a minimum of three vampires to judge my sure to be promising performance?" Ashley paced slowly, tapping his finger to his chin. He turned to the three vampires waiting patiently behind him. "Oh!" he exclaimed, as if he didn't see them before. "Look here, Garrett! Three vampires! Oh, now we can continue with the game." He clapped his hands together.

"Fine. They'll do," I groaned.

"Then let the games begin."

I followed Ashley that day as he followed Kameron, making sure his ready-made judges didn't cheat me out of my win and my Ferrari. And to make sure I wouldn't have a debt to pay later.

I seemed to notice that Ashley is a lot of talk when it comes to boasting, and I thought of a thousand ways to use this to my advantage. But since no interference is allowed in our game, I would just let the chips fall as they may, which is hopefully in my favor.

But I couldn't help but see how careful he was to Karmen's safety, which isn't required by the rules. This was odd, even for Ashley.

The famous Kameron Homes followed the same schedule that she had when she first moved here: She toyed with the press, shopped constantly, and had the same close net of friends around her all the way. She wasn't one for variety.

The day stretched on, and Ashley still hadn't made his attack—not that I blame him; I wouldn't do it either when she had all her friends and bodyguards around her 24/7. This made the bet almost too easy.

Now, now, Garrett, don't get too overconfident.

I watched as Ashley attempted to get close to Kameron and her friends, but was spotted by a bodyguard. He turned away in defeat.

Never mind—I'm _definitely_ going to win.

The sun had set hours ago, and Kameron and her friends were still making their way around town, painting the streets red. Every now and then, I would see Ashley try to tempt Kameron from her friends, but he would stop, I guess seeing an obstacle I didn't. Once or twice, one of his selected judges would say something in his ear, so quiet not even I could hear, much less the frail humans. I wondered absently if Ashley knew he had until dawn the next morning to kill his target, but pushed the thought from my mind—we went over the rules before his hunt began, and even if he didn't know, it would only make an easy win for me.

I looked to his face, hoping he would see my cocky smile I had displayed for him, but then I noticed his expression. It was almost . . . torn, or something like it. It was as if he didn't know whether or not he should make the kill or deem me as automatic winner. It was a choice between his pride and his heart.

Oh yes, I have won.

Ashley stalked outside of the restaurant as Kameron laughed their way down the street.

I met him a block later.

"Having second thoughts, are we?" I asked him, mimicking his smug tone he used this morning.

He winced slightly at my words, then composed himself. "No, of course not."

"That's good." I looked towards the group of laughing girls as they walked around the corner of the block. "Because I heard them talking, while they were in the restaurant. They plan to go to the club." I leaned back against the building behind me and crossed my arms. "A perfect place to get lost."

"I'll be there."

The local club, Club Ice, was packed on a Saturday night. The air shook with the too-loud bass and the atmosphere vibrated with excitement. It was so surrounded with clubbers, you would think it was a giant magnet rather than an excuse to get drunk.

With one look at Kameron's ID, the security guard let her and her friends through the gate, even though I knew for a fact that they were all underage. Nevertheless, me, Ashley, and his panel of judges all followed dutifully.

The music was even louder inside, but it was only a small discomfort compared to all the other humans crammed onto the dance floor like sardines, hot and sweaty from dancing, their swaying bodies touching each other with every pulse of beat. It was so overwhelming I almost forgot about the hunt altogether and lunged at the crowd, but I resisted, with effort.

Ashley zeroed in on Kameron and her friends instantly, completely oblivious to my distraction—he was more focused than I was. But there was no way in hell I would let that bring me down; I _will_ win.

"Hello, there," said a voice from behind me.

I turned to see a blonde female human looking at me from under her abnormally long eyelashes, holding a martini glass in one hand. She eyed me in a way that I guessed would be considered seductive to other men, but it only made me want to laugh out loud, and I knew humor wasn't what she was going for here.

"I'm Emily," she went on when I didn't say anything. She stepped closer. "And you are?" she almost whispered.

"Garrett," I said, sounding just as seductive—if not more—than she did. I can't help it—it's part of my job description. "And I need to be somewhere . . ."

I began walking in the direction I last saw Ashley.

"Wait"—she grabbed on to my jacket, not touching my cold skin—"don't you want to dance?"

I turned to her.

I could easily tear her hand from my arm and find Ashley, but then the door behind her opened and cool air rushed towards us, blowing her scent in my face, tempting me. In one second, I had forgotten all about Ashley and Kameron and the bet and my Ferrari—the only thing that was on my mind was the blood.

She stared into my black eyes, completely unknowing to her fate.

"I have something better than dancing in mind," I whispered in her ear.

She smiled and handed her martini glass to the confused guy who passed behind her; her eyes never left mine.

"Well, let's not stand here waiting, then."

This was all too easy. I would just take the money I had collected from Sam Pierson last week to get us a nice hotel room, where I would impress her just as any human would. All it would take was a few minutes, maybe an hour or so, before I had her complete and earnest trust, and at that moment, I would gently lay my mouth on her neck, as if to kiss it, and bite her when she least expects it. No blood, no mess. Just one human less for the world to deal with.

It was almost no fun.

I let her take my hand and drag me to the door until I suddenly remembered my purpose for being here. _Ashley. Bet. Target. Kameron. Bet. Ferrari . . . _It all came back in a flood so strong I stopped in my tracks, pulling Emily to a halt, and looked around, quickly finding Ashley making his way purposefully to Kameron.

"Where are you going?" Emily asked in a playful tone. "I thought you were going to take me somewhere." She ran her fingers up the sleeve of my jacket, not feeling the skin.

I looked back at her with a ferocious expression. "Trust me; I'm doing you a favor," I growled and turned back to where I saw Ashley standing. I walked towards him, leaving Emily dumbfounded behind me.

I stayed to the outskirts of the crowd, but still close enough to see Ashley amongst the swaying crowd; now he was talking quietly to Kameron, her giggling friends leaving her alone while she flirted.

I moved closer so I could hear what he was saying.

"How about we go somewhere more private?" Ashley asked, using the same approach as I did with Emily. Not to genuinely original, but productive.

Kameron smiled. "Sure."

I followed Ashley and Kameron as they walked out the doors and around the back, her friends trying to be inconspicuous as they trailed behind, trying to listen to their conversation.

Once the judges joined us in the abandoned parking lot, I noticed the sun rising from the horizon.

"Ashley," I called.

He and Kameron turned—Ashley was aggravated, like I had interrupted a very intimate moment; Kameron was just confused.

"Ashley?" she asked incredulously. He had obviously not used his real name, seeing as it was a girl's name in this century.

"If you haven't noticed, _Ashley_"—I exaggerated it to make sure Kameron heard me—"it's past dawn. If you don't hurry it up, I'm sure to win."

Kameron looked from me to Ashley in confusion, not sure what to make of this; her friends had come to her now, equally confused.

"What are you talking about?" Kameron piped up. "Did you use me for a _bet_ or something?" She was fuming now.

_Perfect._

"Something like that." Now Ashley was glaring at me.

"A _bet_?" Her friend stepped forward. "You used her for a _bet_? Do you know who she is?"

"Shannen, calm down," Kameron said quietly.

"No, I will not calm down!" She pointed to me. "You heard what he said! He's just using you! And you expect me to _calm down_?"

"Shannen, please," another girl spoke up from the small group. They were almost shaking with fear.

Shannen whipped her thick dark hair around to face them. "If you guys won't do anything, I will," she threatened, glaring now.

She came for me. "You, sir, are absolutely pathetic to let him use my friend like that—"

I pushed her to the side, hard. I heard the bones in her arm break as she tried to lessen the blow of her fall, the skin tearing as it met asphalt, her head hitting the concrete, knocking her out cold. Her friends rushed around her and Kameron ran to join them screaming, "_Shannen_!"

"You—," Kameron started, pulling out her phone.

"Don't call the police. Or ambulance. You don't want anything worse to happen," I warned.

She reluctantly stored away her phone.

"And the rest of you would be best not to try it, either. I have ways of knowing when you do."

They all stared fearfully.

"Why did it take you so long?" I asked Ashley, who was still glaring at me.

"You don't know much about me, do you, Garrett?" he asked quietly after a moment of silence. "Not much about my history, at least."

I stared at him, my face showing my confusion—he was avoiding the subject.

"I bet you don't even know my last name," he continued.

"This has nothing to do with—"

"Oh, it has everything to do with this, trust me."

He took a few steps towards Kameron.

"Your family has always lived in the New England area, haven't they?" he asked her.

She only looked at him with an attempt at a fierce expression on her face.

"They didn't move much, all one big family celebrating the glory of the Colonial sates," he went on.

She was just as silent.

He turned back to me.

"You see, Garrett, I also have not moved far from this region, as you might know; you haven't moved far, either. But you didn't ever question why, did you? You stayed because you wanted to relive your glory days of the Revolution, but you see where that got you, don't you? Eternal damnation."

The group gathered around the unconscious girl looked at Ashley incredulously, then looked at me—all in unison—with an expression that showed the right amount of fear I deserved.

_That's more like it_.

"Where are you going with this, Ashley?" I asked, growing bored.

"You didn't take time to know your rivals—"

"I don't care what I did or didn't do!" I pulled Kameron up from the ground and pushed her at Ashley. "Just _kill_ her, already!"

One of the girls screamed, but it was cut off when her friend slammed her hand over her mouth. Kameron let out a small whimper.

Ashley held on to Kameron's arm with an iron grip, but it obviously wasn't hard enough to break it, so he was being careful not to hurt her. What is going on here?

"I can't kill her." He said each word slow and distinct, making sure I heard and understood each one.

My patience was growing thin. "And why is that?"

He pushed Kameron over to her friends, where they caught her before she fell on Shannen.

He spoke softly, not wanting the humans to hear him.

"I died durring the Civil War. It wasn't natural—I wasn't saved, like you. I was taken as a sacrifice. The vampires of that time took sides, and there was a war between wars—"

"Yes, yes, I knew that. I was alive then."

I knew the story all too well.

It was the first time our numbers took such a steep decline since the Volturi took out the vampires down south. The immortals were separated yet again, by the stupidity of mortals. I took my loyalties with the north, as I was since the 1700's. To raise army numbers, vampires often threatened families to have all men in the household to join the army or the youngest gets taken for food. Many humans simply ignored these threats, thinking they were just jokes, but no one was laughing when the child was taken and the family was forced to watch the blood be drained from their bodies. To keep secrecy, the vampires made the humans swear to not tell a soul or more family members will go missing. It wasn't a very inconspicuous tactic, but it was effective to say the least.

"My family was asked to give their members. My father had died when I was young, and my sisters couldn't register, so I was the only one. The vampire wasn't happy about that; he said that he would kill me and my mother for not having more sons. I told him I would enlist, but he or anyone else couldn't hurt my family. He could even kill me, if he wanted, but I didn't want my family to see it. He agreed, but it didn't stop his thirst.

"When he escorted me to the drafting quarters, he lost control. Now that I look back on it, I see that he must have been extremely thirsty, too much to withstand. He had to be just begging for me to not agree to join the Union, just so he could get my blood.

"The part before the transformation is blurry, but I remember taking a vow to protect all my family at all costs." He was talking even more quietly, and I began to wonder if he was talking to himself or me, but I didn't let it stop me from listening—had I made a mistake by not knowing my opponent? Is that something that should be done?

Then Ashley's story began to click.

"You mean that she is . . ." I trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

"My last name is also Homes, Garrett. She is my family, and I will not go back on my promise to protect her."

To be honest, this is not the way I planned to end the bet. I planned to win, but not this way. I wanted to win because I deserved it, not because Ashley suddenly developed a soft spot for humans. No matter how many people he protects, he cannot change who he is—_what _he is. All he can do is embrace his title and bear it proudly, not showing fear. But backing out like this, all for a promise he made during a painful transformation that was sure to make him delusional, was too much. I couldn't decide whether to laugh or scream.

"What's the point?" I asked, loud enough for the frightened girls to hear; but when I glanced over at them, I saw that they were gone, just blood stains where Shannen had hit the concrete, but my anger and confusion was so great that my thirst didn't even phase me.

"The point of what?" Ashley asked back.

"Of doing . . . _this_. Why try to do good when nothing comes of it? Why even bother?"

"Because, I do think something will come of it, somehow. Maybe not through faith or heaven or anything like that, but, I don't know, maybe I think karma would eventually sink in and give us what we deserve." He hesitated for a moment. "Your friend, Carlisle, thinks the same thing, I presume."

The mention of Carlisle caught me off guard and I absently clutched the letter he sent me that I kept in my pocket. Carlisle did try for that, and I thought the same of him as I did of Ashley. Could the two be the same? No, of course not—Carlisle is good, even if slightly insane for trying to live amongst humans; Ashley is a bloodthirsty killer who made a promise to help, doesn't do it out of pure sincerity. There was a difference. There _had_ to be.

Then I heard sirens off in the distance.

"They're coming this way, Garrett. Kameron told the police about the incident," Ashley informed me. "You should go."

I stood still, looking at him.

"Or you can stay and get caught, though I'm sure someone such as yourself would find a way out of prison."

I remained where I stood, still looking at him. I didn't know what to do.

"If I were you, I would go find what you're looking for."

Now I knew Ashley had walked off the deep end. What was he talking about?

"An immortal life makes you restless, anxious, and bored. Trust me, Garrett, I know, and you've been around longer than I have. I'll be staying here, fulfilling my promise, if it helps at all. With your decision, that is." He took a deep breath. "That is what helps me, makes this life feel like it's worth something. That's what I suggest you do. You'd never be happy otherwise."

I had no idea what he was talking about, but it somehow made since. The sirens grew louder, and I didn't take the time to find out why I was suddenly going crazy, too. I just ran, as fast as I could, looking for God knows what.

* * *

**I tried my hardest to not kill anyone this chapter and/or get Garrett caught by the police. Both would make the fillers only last longer, and I don't know about you, but I'm bored with those.**

**I would have updated earlier in the week, but there was a band Solos and Ensembles contest today (I had to wake up at 5am to get there on time. Ugh) and I have been practicing all week. Not like it helped much--I got such a low score I didn't even know it was possible. I just got home about an hour ago, and it would have been later because we were the first freakin band there this morning--including the judges! It was held at a high school (a pretty schfancy high school, at that) and we tried to find a bathroom but ended up just setting off all the alarms in the whole dang building. Does that take skill or what?**

**Well, now it's over and I can get back to writing. Yay=]**

**Sorry to go on and on with my little Author's Notes, but it gives me something do to and you a chance to know me, though I don't blame you if you don't after seeing how much I go on and on and on and on . . .**

**And on.**

**SEE?! I just can't stop!**

**Well, please review so I know whether or not you find this chapter as suckish as I do. It would help! **

**=]**


	10. Suicide Mission

**Sorry if this took a while to update. It might not have been long, but it seems like it to me.**

**And I also apologize for the lack of quality of the last chapter. I guess it did suck as much as I thought it did considering the small amount of reviews. Or it might just be because FanFiction was "experiencing techinical difficulties" and whatnot. That's what it did to me, anyway.**

**This is the last filler before we go to Forks, so scream to high heavens, "FINALY!". I know I will be.**

**This chapter is frankly kinda short, so I'm sorry for that. But it won't be nearly as bad as the last one, promise. I will _never_ willingly publish something like that as long as I live.**

**This chapter is a little weird, though. I do have to admit that. I can't really help it. I guess I'm just drawn to twisted stories. It's the only way to explain it.**

**Okay, I won't distract you any longer. Ready. Set. READ! ***Racing Music*** And the winner gets the honor of reviewing! I know you want to!**

* * *

Eleazar found me in the morning.

I have no idea how long I was lying there, completely exposed to the world, or even what happened while I was lying there. It was like I was in this comatose state, where I couldn't react to things around me. It was terrifying to suddenly resurface and see my brother standing over me, concern covering his features.

"Kate?" he asked, pulling me up. My body didn't have enough energy to even send more than a spark through my body as it's natural defense—he didn't even flinch.

"Kate, what were you doing?" he pressed, helping me along as if I were some invalid human.

"Just watching the storm," I replied simply. I did anything I could to avoid questions.

"Well, let's tell Tanya and Carmen that you were hunting. It seems slightly more believable."

I just nodded, not wanting to argue.

Actually, I didn't want to say anything—I completely put myself in pout mode at top volume, trying to show Eleazar how angry I was with him for waking me up. That was the closest I—and I'm pretty sure any immortal, at that—have ever gotten to unconsciousness. The feeling was rejuvenating. Waking up was disorienting, but I finally felt relaxed for the first time since I took Irina hunting, and I would go through any torture to regain that, just say the time and place and I'm there.

But I looked at Eleazar as he studied me, and realized I must have really upset him and my sisters. If I was going to find tranquility, then I should to it in a way that only affected me, not my family.

"And maybe a quick hunt wouldn't hurt," he mused, looking at my coal black eyes. At the mention of blood, my throat burned in anticipation of a warm elk, maybe a grizzly, or even a wolf . . .

No, no, I can't. I pushed the idea out of my mind.

I was about to protest, but then the scent reached my nose, and there was no way to ignore it now.

The wolves were close.

"Maybe a hunt would help," I said quietly, then quickly lunging for the pack.

"Kate," Eleazar called after me, but I didn't really hear him. This was the first time in months that I have been able to put my mind entirely into the hunt, even before Irina left us I couldn't. I had no reason to. But now that I have let myself go this long without a single hunt, it was easy. I pushed Eleazar's concern and my sisters' worries out of my mind for now as I pursued the wolves, who now noticed a predator close. They stayed close together, knowing the whole "strength in numbers" and whatnot. But all it took was one to think for themselves and wonder "What's the point of listening to them?" before I catch them alone. With my mind clear, my hunting instincts kicked in and I noticed a hundred ways to take a member of the pack down, but all too easy. Besides, if I was going to take one down, the rest were going, too.

I jumped for the one trailing behind, clawing my hands into the skin behind his shoulder blades. I heard him yelp and I slammed my knee into his back, breaking his spine, and his last chance of defense, if he had any at all.

Once I drained the blood of the first wolf, the rest retaliated, facing me and growling.

Okay, I can play that game.

I bared my teeth and hissed as mincingly as I could muster. Well, maybe that's a slight overstatement, but it felt like it at the time. Either way, the wolves lunged for me this time, wanting revenge for me killing their own, not caring how many of them died in the process.

I fended them off easily, breaking vital bones, crushing important organs, anything I could do to keep them away.

I had three more down and drained before Eleazar stepped in.

"Kate, that's enough. You know that you're full," he said, pulling me up again. What made him think I suddenly needed his help?

I turned to glare.

"You know, if I wasn't, I could easily tear you to pieces and burn them right now for interrupting my hunt," I warned, pulling away.

Thanks Eleazar, the wolves are gone now.

"Help me move the carcasses," I growled.

He obliged without complaint.

We moved the drained bodies in silence, an immature, angry silence on my part. I've noticed that I have lately been acting more human, but not in the way to make me forget this damned life. No, it was more a way that I feel like I haven't lived for a hundred some-odd years, but twenty-three, having only that long to mature. It was like those years I spent trying to make myself who I was now was completely unraveled, put in reverse until it was gone completely. The only question was, would I ever be able to get it back?

I didn't let myself answer this question, because I turned all my attention to being angry with Eleazar, which was starting to fade as the silence wore on. I vowed to not be the one to talk first, but to let him feel the heat from my glares I kept throwing at him—well, at least feel the anger that was left. And, to tell you the truth, it wasn't much. But I would let him feel it, regardless.

"Do you care to share with me what you were doing up there, all alone, before I tell Carmen and Tanya a lie about it," he said, breaking the silence, but it only relieved me. The quiet was almost putting more stress on me.

"I just needed to get out of that house. It was getting to be too much." That was a good explanation. It didn't give away what I was doing, but didn't seem like I was hiding something. Perfect.

"It's hard for all of us, too, Kate. We have to stay together to get through it."

Eleazar was always a wise person, but his words took me by surprise. I had never thought of the other's suffering, just my own, and I wondered if that made me a vein person. Not only was I only thinking of myself, but I put more on my family by making them worry. I was a horrible person, all in all. I didn't deserve an immortal life. I only added an eternity of bad things to an already pathetic world.

"Yeah, sure."

He paused a moment. "Do you want to go home now?"

"Yeah, that would be good."

The run home was just as silent, but without the awkwardness that usually followed me. When we reached the house, it looked like no one had lived there for years, but then I saw Carmen come out, and she embraced me tightly. I restrained from shocking here about five feet backwards.

"Where have you been, Kate?" she asked as I wrapped my arms around her.

I looked frantically at Eleazar, hoping for an answer. He didn't give me one.

"I was just hunting. I needed some time to myself." I said, but not as smoothly as I could have. I need to work on that.

Carmen pulled back, pushing out a laugh. It was wrong, forced.

"Kate, you always have time to yourself. It seems like you're always out hunting, but I know that you're right upstairs," she said, holding my arms.

What?

I looked back to the past five months, and realized I didn't talk to my sisters much, even during the time before my closest sister up and left. It was odd, I guess, knowing one sister would never be completely there, especially _because_ she was the closest I had. Irina was most like April, even though my memories of her were faded and yellowed, like an old photograph. The ones of my human sister are the best memories I have, but it's still murky. I can't see her clearly now, but I know that when I look at Irina, I see April, and a hint that I used to be human. Now I may never see that again.

But that was no excuse to neglect the family that was loyal enough to remain, even if one of those family members was as bossy as Tanya.

"I'm sorry about that," I said, looking at my hands as they glittered in the morning sun. "I'm trying to change that." And I am, starting now.

Carmen smiled, something I haven't seen in this household in a while.

By now, Tanya came outside with us.

She froze in the doorway when she saw me.

"Kate!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at me, but not knocking me over. She wasn't that strong.

But the fact that she missed me at all was enough to knock me off my feet.

"Oh, Kate, we were so worried!" she continued, still hugging me. You would think I was gone for years rather than hours.

I reluctantly hugged her back, not wanting to ruin this moment of Tanya not arguing about something.

Eleazar put his arm around Carmen, who was standing behind Tanya. I pulled away from Tanya's embrace and looked back at my family, wanting to remember them like this forever.

I mentally added Irina to the picture, imagining her standing beside me.

The next three months since my incident with the storm passed without much to report, besides the fact that we went up and down the western Canadian coast looking for a sign of Irina. Our efforts came to no avail.

There was a sitcom on the ABC channel that Carmen had started to watch about scientists that were completely and totally the nerdiest people you would meet, but I couldn't get into it. It was Tuesday night while we were watching it that we got a call from Carlisle.

Tanya's little phone buzzed quietly in the kitchen, and she rushed to answer it, knowing only the Cullens called us on it.

I didn't bother to listen to Carlisle's words over Eleazar's loud laughter at some joke I missed.

"Carlisle, Carlisle, slow down. What trouble are you talking about?"

We all froze at those words. We still stared at the TV, but I knew no one in the room was really watching it. We were trying too hard to hear Carlisle's quiet, frantic talking.

"What? Irina?"

I turned my neck to see Tanya stop mid-pace, her face frozen in a mixture of fury, confusion, and disbelief.

"Where are you?"

I waited impatiently for Carlisle's reply.

"We'll be there."

She hung up the phone.

Tanya turned to us, but kept her eyes on the phone in her hands. "Irina saw Bella and the werewolf hunting and jumped to conclusions. That's all he would tell me." She looked up at us. "The Cullens are in trouble, and it's our sister's fault—"

"No, it was not!" I cut in, standing up. How could she blame all this on Irina? Bella had to do something for Irina to suspect anything in the first place!

"Kate, please," Carmen warned me quietly.

"The Vulturi are coming in a month. They need us to help them," Tanya continued.

"Why would they ask us to help them? Do they want us to _fight_?" I was furious now. Why would Carlisle as such a thing of us?

"Kate, we promised we would help at any cost to protect them, just as they said they would help us—"

"But it's a suicide mission! Does he actually want us to _die_ for him?" I was walking towards Tanya, throwing my hands in the air.

"Not just him, the whole coven. Maybe even ours, if it's true that Irina was involved."

"She left, after all! Why would it matter now? What coven is she really in, anyway?" I was fuming, acting completely unlike me. It was weird to be yelling at Tanya, but I couldn't make myself stop. The words just threw themselves out at her, and then blamed me for their actions.

Tanya turned to glare at me.

"Kate, we are going. If we don't, they may all die."

* * *

**Whew! I'm proud I got this much done, even if it wasn't much. I have been excedingly hyper these past few days, and I couldn't make myself sit down for any length of time without going crazy and yelling at the top of my lungs compulsively. So, I got brilliant. I turned on iTunes as loud as it would go, moved all the chairs out of the room, and rocked out to *NSYNC at top volume to get the creative juices flowing. And boy howdy, did it work! I actually accomplished something without sitting down! I deserve a cookie. Or better yet, a pie. Ooh, pie sounds good . . .**

**Now I desperately need to get started on Garrett's chapter. Ugh. His chapter is getting hard. But at least we got rid of Ashley for the time being! =] I'm happy.**

**I have a challenge for you, my lovely soon-to-be reviewers! If you have any questions about the story at all (that doesn't involve giving away future chapters) then I would be happy to answer them. I think quizzing me would help get more depth in the story, and I would like to develop that before Kate and Garrett meet, which I think they will in the next chapter. So, ask away! I think it truly will help.**

**Okay, so you've read it, you hate it or love it, so now review it! It's that simple!**

**=] **

**[Please, please, _please _review!]**


	11. The Ultimate Challenge

**Okay, I would like to say now that we are all only human. We are prone to mistakes. Remember that when I tell you this.**

**Ahem. Uh. Well, I kinda had to rewrite this chapter before I proceeded to chapter 13 because I noticed a huge flaw in the content. Well, maybe not to you, but I don't like mistakes. When I origonally wrote this, it was Carlisle and Esme who found Garrett and told him they needed his help, but then I reread _Breaking Dawn_ and noticed that it was Emmett and Rosalie who went to go find the nomads.**

**Oops.**

**So, here's the revised version! Chapter 12 v2.0!**

**But, really, there's not much of a difference. Just a little humor between Rosalie and Emmett. Sorry if Emmett sounds kinda mean here, but his family is in danger, so he's a little stressed. And Rosalie sounds uncharacteristically sweet and nice, but this is how she likes to appear towards strangers. You know, the whole attention thing. And, to all you Rosalie Fans out there, I'm not trying to make her sound egotistical. That's just how I view her.**

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

I just kept running. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to do what Ashley told me to. It was weird, but I didn't question any of it, I just ran.

My mind stayed completely blank of any intelligible thoughts, never coming to a conclusion of anything that was happening. All that was clear was that I was running, fast. But once I reached the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, my mind resurfaced and I was hyperaware of how ridiculous this all sounded. Why was I about to leave my home? Colonial America was all I ever knew, all I ever saw. Change was a difficult thing for us, Carlisle once told me, and I wasn't about to do it without a completely coherent reason.

Then I remembered what Ashley told me only hours ago.

"_Make this life feel like it's worth something. That's what I suggest you do. You'd never be happy otherwise."_

The words that seemed so wise to me hours ago now sounded so crazy.

Besides, where would I go? I can't just wonder around the continent without anything to do.

Or I could . . .

I always saw myself as a nomad, a predator that roams any land in front of him, searching for nothing in particular. My only problem was the small predicament of actually going somewhere that wasn't restricted to the east coast. If I just pushed myself, I could completely change who I was and who I will be. I could easily forget everything Ashley has told me—well, maybe not _forget _per se, but I could just not think about it as much as I know I will be.

Yes. This will work.

I stared at the road beyond the border and smiled to myself, thanking that it was just now daybreak and no one had yet woken up in this residential area to notice a tall man in a dark, long jacket walking down the street, then suddenly disappearing in a blur once reaching full speed. It's as if I was supposed to listen to Ashley all along, as if he knew how easy it would be for me to make it out of here at this hour.

_But maybe he did_ . . .

I pushed the thought from my mind. It was too mind-boggling to think about now.

I took my time now, shoving my hands in my pockets and walking at an insanely slow human pace down the street and past all the carefully groomed houses and manicured lawns, past all the sleeping humans, completely unaware to how strong the concentrated scent of blood trailing through their veins tempted me to take their lives. I luckily have practiced being around humans and now know when is the ideal time to hunt. I should get an award or something.

The next thing I knew, I was standing beside the Great Lakes, the sun higher over the horizon from the changing time zones. At some point I must have sped up my pace and was making my way farther north; in just a few seconds I would pass the Canadian border at the rate I was going.

As I looked over Lake Michigan, I took out the letter from Carlisle that I got just yesterday. It's funny how time, while immortal, can either completely jump forward at any given time or slow down to a painfully slow pace when you want it most to go faster. I would doubt if humans ever felt that. I'm sure their time always seemed slow, waiting for the next big thing instead of finding it yourself.

After reading it yet again, I began running to the east. Exactly why I was doing this was a complete mystery, but I didn't question it; I wasn't about to stop again.

As I ran, more clouds covered the sky and the sun climbed even higher as the hours came quicker than they would if I was standing still—it was as if I was running towards the sun rather than hiding from it like I would if I were in public. Soon, the clouds became darker and rain fell from them, soaking my clothes completely but just sliding easily off of me. Even with my wet hair falling in my face, my vision wasn't blurred, but intensified with the rain making each scent and sight sharper. But even with the more acute senses, I didn't notice the new scent until it almost hit me head on. But before it could, I stopped dead, completely braced for a fight.

Two vampires were in the area. Coming at me.

I let out a warning snarl so low that it barely traveled through the raindrops as they landed on the shrubbery, but I knew—whoever they were—they could hear it.

Once two figures came into view, my breath stopped short and wouldn't resume. Not that I missed it, but the lack of scent made my mind slightly blurry and the sudden surprise sent it into a complete turmoil of trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

"Who are you?" I asked, my tone full of steel.

"Who are _you?" _a deep voice countered.

I stood silent, not wanting to give away any information.

"Ooh, being mysterious, are we?" the voice mocked, chuckling.

I scowled.

"Emmett, calm down. He could help us," a female voice said, stepping around the male—Emmett—towards me.

"Are you Garrett?" she asked me.

"No duh, Rose," Emmett said before I could answer. He rolled his eyes.

I resisted the urge to growl at him—if they knew my name, then they were sent to find me, and I wanted to know why, before I scared them off.

Rose glared at Emmett.

"I'm Rosalie," she said, stepping closer.

I looked at both of them, guarded.

Emmett sighed.

"Garrett," I said after a quick glare at Emmett.

"Told you," Emmett mumbled under his breath.

Rosalie, not fazed at all by Emmett's remark smiled at me welcomingly.

"Carlisle sent us here to—," she started, but stopped abruptly when she saw my expression.

_Carlisle._

What did he want with me now, after all this time? I had spent the last hundred years trying to forgive myself for the things I said to him—to my brother—but he seemed to keep showing up. First the letter, and now these two idiots who said he had sent them. What next? Would he hire the FBI?

Emmett groaned. "Listen, Carlisle needs your help. Yours and as many other people's that are willing to. You in?"

I looked at him suspiciously for the lack of information.

Rosalie sighed impatiently at Emmett. "Way to be subtle, Em."

"You weren't getting there any time soon."

She turned to him. "And what makes you think that?"

"You always take too long on these kinds of things."

"Really? Well, do you want to see how long it takes my foot to go up your—"

"What kind of trouble?" I interrupted, not liking what seemed to be mates fight like this in front of me. It was just so _human_.

They looked at me wide-eyed, as if they forgot I was standing here, blinked, and returned to their earlier positions.

"We can't really say much yet," Rosalie informed me, "but our entire coven is at stake here. If we had other vampires there to help, we might stand a chance against—," she stopped, looking frantic, as if she said too much.

"What she's _trying_ to say is," Emmett cut in, sidestepping Rosalie and ignoring her furious expression, "that the Volturi want us all dead and we need help."

I took a few seconds to soak this all in.

"You mean—you want to build an _army_?" I asked, body frozen, my lips barely moving to form these words.

"No, no," Rosalie said, waving her hands in front of her. "We just need witnesses. That's all."

"And what will I be witnessing?" I asked, still unmoving.

"What of 'we can't really say much' do you not get here?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie turned to glare at him again.

"You'll have to forgive him," she said quietly, but I knew Emmett could still hear. Then more loudly, emphasizing that this was about him, "He's just been really touchy lately."

I blinked in acknowledgement.

Emmett sighed, then, in an overstated attempt at being nicer, "We just need you to go to the house in Forks, Washington, okay? You'll get the full story there." He said this flat, monotonously, looking everywhere but my face.

"You said the Volturi was the threat?"

"Yes," Rosalie exhaled, relieved that I finally understood.

I knew who the Volturi were and what they did, but I had never met them. They took a large part in any war that occurred anywhere on the globe, including the American Revolutionary War, where, I'm sure, one of their guard bit me and drained half of my blood, leaving me to die in the middle of a battlefield.

But what wrong could Carlisle possibly do that would get the Italian involved?

I suddenly saw what I needed, what Ashley would never guess I would search for.

A new challenge.

And fighting a whole family of powerful vampires is the best challenge there is.

"I'm in."

* * *

**Still short. Ugh.**

**=]**


	12. Little Threat

**I have an excuse for why this chapter took so long! **

**It was emotionally painful for me to write this. Not because it's sad or anything; it's just boring to write. I reread it, and it's a lot more interesting than what it felt like it was while I was writing it. (Did anyone out there understand that sentence?)**

**But it's up now, so there's something good of it!**

**Ooh, there's more to the excuse: I've been reading and reviewing other FanFics, spreading the love, if you will, as something to do rather than this thing. But then I had a dream the other night of how to do the rest (very proverbal, isn't it?) and now I'm overly-excited to get this show on the road and get to the part that I saw in my dream. **

**Sorry, but that whole sentence up there sounds so weird. Whoa.**

**Not to mention I've been grounded, but it didn't stop me from reading other FanFics, so it's not much of an excuse . . . Hm. It works!**

**Hope you like!**

* * *

I put my defenses on rest as I endured the car ride yet again to the Cullens' house. Before now, I had complained and whined and yelled at my sisters and brother, telling them that this was a lost cause, that we were going to die before ever finding Irina, and repeated several times, "What is your obsession with this suicide mission?!"

None of it worked.

So, now I just sit in the back seat as Eleazar raced down the road, taking roads that avoided human transportation. To occupy my mind, I focused on each and every raindrop or dewdrop I could find, looking at the perfect pictures of its surroundings reflected upside-down.

But that didn't last long.

I sighed and began tapping my foot lightly on the floor of the car, exceedingly impatient.

"You act so human sometimes, Kate," Carmen noted from the front seat.

I hissed—that definitely was _not_ a compliment.

I wished with every ounce of my being that I could go back to that comatose state, to live out this ride and just get to the Cullens' house, and then die. All because of Irina. She seems to be the source of all our family's sorrow lately.

If she ever did come back, I would never forgive her for everything she's done.

At some point, we made it to Forks and I was anxious all over again. The pulse of every human in the area was unnerving, but there was something odd about it, one heart seemed to be beating faster than the others . . .

I just disregarded it as a hiker and faced our fate that was in Carlisle's hands.

Edward answered the door before we could knock.

"Edward!" Tayna enthused, suddenly in higher spirits.

"Hello, Tanya." He forced a smile. "Kate, Eleazar, Carmen," he greeted.

We murmured hellos, still uncomfortable with the stressed atmosphere and our sister's inability to notice it.

We tried to enter the house through the front doorway, but Edward still stood there. I could easily send him staggering backwards and walk in that way, but, regrettably, there were no manners in that approach at all.

"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away," Tanya said cheerily when Edward didn't allow us entrance. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?" She seemed excited about the idea. And, if I were being honest, so was I.

"No," Edward responded. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever."

I chuckled—of course it wouldn't be that easy.

Tanya tried to get around Edward yet again. "Aren't you going to invite us in?" She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Carlisle?"

"Carlisle had to leave." He said it too serenely. There had to be something wrong. We all tensed.

"What's going on, Edward?" Tanya demanded.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," he went on, slightly on edge. "I have something difficult to explain, and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand."

"Is Carlisle all right?" Eleazar asked anxiously.

No, it had to be something worse than that to need our help.

"None of us is all right, Eleazar." Of course. He moved from his guarded post at the doorway and patted Eleazar's shoulder. "But physically, Carlisle is fine."

I could tell Tanya was growing impatient. "Physically? What do you mean?"

"I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out."

We all stood in silence, afraid to say anything. If this was so bad to need our promise before he says his side of the story, it had to have horrible consequences.

"We're listening," Tanya agreed, making decisions for all of us again. "We will hear it all before we judge."

_Speak for yourself . . ._

"Thank you, Tanya. We wouldn't involve you in this if we had any other choice."

He led us into the living room.

I sniffed. Werewolf.

"I knew those werewolves were involved," Tanya muttered, noticing the scent also.

"Yes, and they're on our side. Again," Edward reminded her.

This silenced all of us. Did the Cullens trust the werewolves more than us?

"Where's your Bella?" Carmen asked to break the tension. "How is she?"

"She'll join us shortly. She's well, thank you." He turned to smile more sincerely at Carmen, who was walking with Eleazar's arm around her. "She's taken to immortality with amazing finesse."

But Tanya wouldn't have any talk about Bella. "Tell us the danger, Edward. We'll listen, and we'll be on you side, where we belong." She was obviously stung from the werewolf comment.

Edward took a deep breath. "I'd like you to witness for yourselves first." He motioned to the dining room, just beyond the wall. "Listen—in the other room. What do you hear?"

It was quiet and I didn't hear anything other than the werewolf's heart beating. I rolled my eyes. Did he ask us to come all this way to simply "witness" their new alliance with the mutants?

I made my way to the door.

"Just listen first, please," Edward said to stop me.

I stopped in my tracks and strained to listen.

"A werewolf, I assume," Tayna noted, stating the obvious. "I can hear his heart."

"What else?" Edward asked, his face looking like he might explode with anticipation of our decision.

We waited impatiently.

"What is that thrumming?" I asked, perplexed. "Is that . . . some kind of bird?" It was the same sound I heard coming out of the car, and I was positive it wasn't a bird of any kind, the blood was too warm.

"No, but remember what you're hearing. Now, what do you smell?" He paused. "Besides the werewolf," he specified, glancing pointedly at Tanya.

"Is there a human here?" Eleazar whispered, nervous.

I looked at the door again. If there was a human here, I could bolt easily, take the car, and go back to our safe home in Denali. The others can follow if they want.

"No," Tanya disagreed quietly. "It's not human . . . but . . ."—I sniffed the air also—"closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward?" Tayna asked as if she was asking for the name of a perfume. "I don't think I've ever smelled that fragrance before."

"You most certainly have not, Tayna. Please, _please_ remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions."

"I promised you I would listen, Edward." Carmen and Eleazar nodded in agreement. I stood still.

"All right, then." He turned his head towards the dining room. "Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please."

What's _Renesmee_?

I could hear someone suddenly stop breathing, trying to relax. Then I heard sluggish footsteps slowly become more confident and strong before coming to the doorway. Bigger, heavier footsteps shadowed them.

Great. The werewolf decided to join us.

Bella took one step into the room, met our gazes, and froze, the werewolf almost bumping into her and the child in her arms.

_Child_?

The little one peaked through Bella's hair, looking at us defensively.

How could they?!

This time, I _was_ going to run, and my family was going with me. I wouldn't have to force them, either—I knew they were coming willingly if I just made the move. As I threw myself across the room and to the doorway, shocking myself on the metal doorknob, I saw Tanya skitter back, her hair shaking, and Eleazar crouch in front of Carmen, as if to protect her. What physical danger could this little . . . _thing_ . . . possibly illustrate? Either way, I understood his concern; he'd seen the Volturi—his former coven—kill Sasha and destroy our family forever. She had been stripped from us, and he didn't want that to happen to him and Carmen.

"Oh _please_," the wolf complained in a whisper.

And he was here, why?

Edward put an arm around Bella and the thing in her arms. "You promised to listen."

I looked at them, and it made the perfect picture of what we as a family have spent numerous years trying to keep from happening. And we thought the Cullens were with us on that stand. Oh, were we wrong.

"Some things can't be heard! How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?" Tanya was shrieking now. I bet she didn't look at Edward too fondly, now.

Edward stared at us evenly; Bella kept her eyes wide and attentive, taking in everything around her in her new eyes; the wolf looked at us with a combination of insult and boredom covering his face.

I looked at the child more intently now, but still not wanting to take in too many details for fear of Aro questioning us when he came here, which he undoubtedly will. No matter if they broke the law, I don't want to be the source of this family's downfall.

The child looked up at me and met my fierce gaze, a look of rejection on her face, and I almost felt—_sympathy. _For this abomination! What the _hell_ was going on here?

It became too much, and I anxiously said, "We have to get out of here." I rushed to the doorknob, ready to yank the door off its hinges.

No one followed me.

"Edward . . ." Eleazar said, his body angled so he could protect Carmen and run to the door, but his face was hesitant. He, like us, couldn't believe what Edward was doing.

"Wait." Edward's voice was harder now, wanting us to listen and listen _hard_. I straitened up from my crouch by the door in surprise. He'd never used that tone with us before.

"Remember what you hear, what you smell," he continued. "Renesmee is not what you think she is."

Oh, yeah. He was reading our thoughts.

"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward," Tanya snapped. If this didn't put us all in mortal danger, I would have snickered—seeing Tanya say anything bad to or about Edward was a rare thing and meant to be remembered. But there was no time for that now.

"Tanya." Edward's voice has lost it's sharp edge, but it was still hard and condescending. "You can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what than means."

There was seconds, maybe hours of pure silence before Carmen chimed, "Her heartbeat?" and looked curiously around Eleazar's shoulder.

I almost sighed.

"She's not a full vampire child," Edward explained, looking only at Carmen, ignoring Eleazar's glare. "She's half-human."

We all looked at Edward no longer with repulsion, but with disbelief. How much of his lies did he expect us to believe?

"Hear me," Edward ordered, his voice now one of persuasion instead of defensive. "Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator—her biological father."

But then that meant . . . How did he not kill her in the process? Tanya didn't seem aware of the fact that her head was shaking—she didn't want to believe what she was hearing, either.

"Edward, you can't expect us to—."

_Believe all this nonsense that you're putting in front of us, _I finished for Eleazar. I was about to say the same.

"Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar." Edward's voice was back to its sharpness, but his face held on to it's last shred of patience. "You can feel the warmth of her body in the air. Blood runs through her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it."

I sniffed the air once more. Yes, there was definitely a source of blood that wasn't nearly as repulsive as the werewolf. But it wasn't the kind to make the burning in my throat uncontrollable—rather, it would make me feel like a murderer, a cannibal if I lunged for it. It was a curious scent, unlike any human I have ever encountered. But, like what Tanya said, it was closer to human than anything else.

"How?" I breathed. All the questions were becoming too much to just keep to myself; I needed answers, _now_.

"Bella is her biological mother," Edward said, facing me now. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Eleazar said, him and Tanya refusing to give in and believe what's being said; Carmen was completely won over; I was still indecisive.

"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common," Edward answered.

I froze instinctively, knowing where this was going. Hopefully Edward wasn't stupid enough to go there.

"Human survivors or such trysts are even less common. Wouldn't you agree, cousins?"

I scowled at him. How _dare_ he talk about Irina like that!

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance," Edward crooned, looking at Eleazar hopefully. But it was Carmen who responded to his offer.

"No—But—Carmen" Eleazar tried to warn as Carmen stepped around him and approached the child.

She leaned down to the baby in Bella's arms, looking carefully into her face.

"You seem to have your mother's eyes," she said in a low voice, "but your father's face." And then she smiled at the child. _Smiled_. As if it was in involuntary response. Did she not see that this child could be the death of all of us?

The child smiled back, a set of perfect white teeth momentarily clouding my brain until I found myself standing directly behind Eleazar, three yards from my previous place at the door.

Without looking at Carmen, the child reached up and touched her mother's face.

Bella half-smiled.

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" she asked Carmen in a whisper. "She has a gift for explaining things."

Carmen didn't look up at Bella or even give any indication that she heard the words. Still smiling like an idiot, she asked, "Do you speak, little one?"

"Yes," the child answered. Her voice was high and clear, without a single trace of a lisp or slur, much too advanced for a child of her age. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

And she lifted her hand to Carmen's cheek.

Carmen stiffened like she did when I sent a harmless shock through her before Irina left—only months ago, but it felt like ages. Eleazar ran to her side instantly, his hands on her shoulders. He tilted his head to me slightly, telling me with his eyes to run and open the door at his signal and he'll pull Carmen with him back to the car and we'll forget this ever happened. It was so tempting to do right now.

But nothing happened. We all stared at the two, whose gazes were locked on each other's eyes. This lasted for a while, and I had no idea what to do. Edward watched his daughter intently, reading her thoughts. _What was she thinking?_ I wondered, hoping Edward would hear me and answer. But he didn't, he just looked at the child.

We all stayed still, not wanting to interrupt what was happening. Well, all of us except for the werewolf. He shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

_Werewolves . . ._

"What's Nessie showing her?" he asked under his breath.

"Everything," Edward murmured.

Another second passed—or maybe another hour, I couldn't tell—before the child finally lifted her hand from Carmen's face. Carmen seemed too stunned to talk, and the child just looked at her, smiling.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" she asked Edward.

He nodded.

"Such a vivid gift! It could only come from a very gifted father."

"Do you believe what she showed you?" he asked.

I was struggling to keep up. What had she shown Carmen? What was happening?

"Without a doubt."

_What?!_

"Carmen!" Eleazar exclaimed, his face rigid.

Carmen turned and took his hands in hers. "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but the truth. Let the child show you."

Carmen guided Eleazar by the elbow over to Bella and her child and nodded. "Show him, _me querida._"

The child grinned widely at Carmen's acceptance and reached out to touch Eleazar's forehead.

"_Ay caray_!" he spat, jerking away from her.

"What did she do to you?" Tanya demanded in that abrasive way of hers. She stepped closer warily, and I followed slower to be closer to our brother.

"She's just trying to show you her side of the story," Carmen soothed.

The child in Bella's arms frowned impatiently. "Watch, please," she commanded, lifting her fingers once again to Eleazar's forehead, but leaving a few inches before she actually touched him, inviting him to take the few steps.

Eleazar, not knowing what to do, looked to Carmen for help, and she nodded encouragingly. He took a deep breath and leaned forward slowly until his forehead made contact with the child's hand.

He shuddered when whatever was happening started, but held still, closing his eyes while Tanya and I waited in anticipation for what was happening.

"Ahh. I see," he said minutes later, opening his eyes. And, just like with Carmen, the child smiled at him and he smiled back, as if forced.

I was struggling to find out what happened—did the child have a gift of mind-control? Had she made Carmen come close enough to touch her and make her think that every lie her family has said was the truth, and not just nonsense jumbled together? But Eleazar would have picked up on that, wouldn't he? He had said that his gift of realizing other vampire's gifts wasn't exact and sometimes had flaws, but how could he just look over such a powerful talent? Or did she already tamper with his mind? Could she cast her powers over a distance, but it be more effective with physical contact?

So many questions flew through my mind at once that I couldn't even tell most of them apart, much less answer them. I was only pulled to reality by Tanya's voice, full of annoying concern for our family.

"Eleazar?" she asked.

"It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself."

_Oh, no._

If I was right, then she did get to Eleazar. And she was about to take control of the rest of my family, steal their sanity. Well, what sanity we already had.

But then I looked at Eleazar, and I saw that look in his eye, that little glint that he usually got when he learned something new. If the child did alter his memory or his train of thought or whatever she could do, would he still look like he had gained knowledge, or would he simply just take it as a fact of life, like how the sky was blue. Would he and Carmen still be the same once their minds were tampered with?

Besides believing this crazy talk, they seemed normal, so I didn't even scowl when Tanya took her turn with the child, although electricity did course through me, a reaction to my stress.

Tanya didn't say anything once the child lifted her hand from her face, just smiled in bewilderment at the child and at Carmen and Eleazar, then encouragingly at me. My turn.

I walked to the child with as much courage as I could muster, not wanting my family to see how hesitant I was—if they were going crazy, I would too. There was no way I could face this horrifying reality alone.

I didn't bother to tone down the shocks forming a protective shield around me, but they weren't very strong anyway—the child didn't even flinch when she touched me.

But I did.

A ton of pictures and memories and sounds rushed through my mind at once, not making any sense whatsoever. Until, slowly, they began taking shape, and I heard Edward's voice, but couldn't figure out where it came from. But there was a pure sense of . . . _safety_ . . . in this place, wherever it was; then there was Bella, frail and human, whispering, "_Renesmee_." So that must mean that the first clip was in a womb of some sort. What is going on? These aren't my memories, but they came just as clearly as if they were. The next scene was of Edward holding the child—his child—in his arms, singing to her, with Bella still and unmoving on a bed behind him. There were several meaning memories like these—of the werewolf holding her, Rosalie playing with her hair, Edward and Bella taking her to a small cottage in the woods—until a more concerning memory took center stage.

Bella, her daughter, and the wolf—Jacob, as they call him—were hunting in the snowy woods, not far from this house. Suddenly distracted from her deer she killed, the child looked up to see a blond, pretty, _vicious_ vampire looking at her, a death threat in her eyes.

It was Irina.

More memories rushed through my conscious—Carlisle measuring her tiny body as she grew more and more each day; Emmett making fun of Bella for some reason, infuriating the child for making her mother glare at him that way; a middle-aged human man—Bella's father—looking at her for the first time; then the picture show ended on a memory of Edward and Bella looking down at the baby in their arms, both smiling proudly.

The child—Renesmee—took her hand from my face, and it felt as if I had an out-of-body experience; it made me almost dizzy to find myself as Kate, and to remember that those memories were not mine. What did this child do?

I looked down at her in surprise, and she smiled widely and I just couldn't help but smile, too.

My, what a strange child.

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**As far as my chapters go, this one was pretty long. _live-happy-forever-and-always_, you'd like that. You and your strange obsession with long chapters . . .**

**Sorry to end it so abruptly, but we all know what happens in the next few pages of _Breaking Dawn_, right? Just Edward and Eleazar's chitchat of why the Sam heck would the Volturi want any part of this shizz. Bo-ring. **

**I know I promised that Kate and Garrett would meet soon, but I just couldn't make it happen. Well, I couldn't while keeping my sanity. Which, let me tell you, is getting harder and harder. He-heh. Next chapter, I will _try_--I say _try_ because I'm tired of my empty promises--to fit it in the next Garrett chapter. Having Garrett describe Kate and her family would be much more interesting than having Kate just stare at him, if you ask me. **

**If anyone still has any questions, then please keep asking them! You have no idea how much they help! And if you don't have a question concerning the story, then just review with any random question. For example, ask me to guess what food you're currently eating. I might not get it right, but I love replying reviews, and it's hard when no one says anything for me to reply to. Please? Come _on_! I've reduced myself to begging, haven't I? Doesn't that deserve just _one_ review?**

**Doesn't it?**

**=]**


	13. One Last Hunt

**This chapter is painfully short, but I just wanted to get one last quick filler in here before we go back to Forks. The last chapter was soo long and I couldn't make it much longer because it would be a book in itself, so I'm breaking it up into two chapters with a pointless Garrett filler in the middle. But I like writing Garrett, so it's all good. =]**

**And I present to you . . . CHAPTER 13!!!**

_

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_

Keep running, keep running.

Those were the only coherent thoughts that passed through my mind, the only thoughts that I would listen to. Thoughts such as "What are you doing?" and "What do you expect to gain from this?" were ignored.

I put my body on autopilot as it ran to uncharted territory: the Olympic Peninsula. I thought that if I made a dramatic effort to control it, the thoughts I tried so hard to ignore would take over and I would go crying back to Ashley, telling him that I wasn't strong enough to listen to him.

And that's not happening.

I followed the Canadian border as I ran through Montana, another state that I have heard of but never been to. I was curious to see how much mankind had evolved, but this wasn't a time for site seeing. Besides, there seemed to be more people here—

And then it hit me.

_Blood._

I was usually more practiced in this art, but not even the woodsy cover of the Montana woods could cover up the scent that threw my brain into a frenzy. Suddenly, all thoughts of Carlisle, of the Volturi, of challenges, of anything besides my thirst was completely smashed down and told to shut up as I froze where I stood.

I wouldn't move my feet any further, just stood there, back strait, hands curled into claws at my side, head only making slight movements as to get a better reception of that aroma.

There were maybe seven, eight humans here, and by the sound of their voices, they were on a hiking trip before winter finally settled in and buried the trails. They seem to come through these trails often, never sighting any dangers or threats on previous trips. Lucky for them, I would be their first and last.

The hiking group followed the trail as it led them around a corner, and they resumed their hike walking southwest, away from me. As the scent dwindled, my mind began to make order of itself and I had a list of choices to follow through.

Option one: I could ignore the easy—but yet exciting—meal in front of me, along with the lethal thirst burning in my throat.

This one didn't seem likely.

Option two: I could follow the humans and devour all of them before some other, less merciful vampire did.

I liked this one much better.

If I followed through with the first option, then I would have to run the next however many miles in thirst and anguish, the constant burning following me everywhere. Then when I finally get to Forks, the scent of the humans in that tiny town would be so overwhelming that I would kill all of them, and then the Volturi would have another reason to be a threat to Carlisle and his family.

But if I did the second option . . .

I didn't take the time to finish that last thought—I was already running through the woods, following the scent on the rocky trail to find the humans that were just here. I caught up with them easily, and they didn't even turn at my approach—it was barely audible to even me. I fell into step behind the middle-aged, overweight man with a grey beard before any one noticed I was even there.

"Who are you?" the man asked, turning to me. The other humans with him turned also, looking much more fearful than the man in front of me.

I smirked, then lifted my head back and sniffed the odor that they emitted into the air, making the show more dramatic for them.

After taking an over-long whiff, I looked back down on them—all of them much shorter than I—my black eyes like daggers in theirs. I smiled slightly, showing my teeth, and chuckled.

And with that, America's population dropped by seven people.

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**Ooh dramatic last line. I just wanted to fit that in here somewhere.**

**Sorry it took me a while to get this up--well, like a week, but that's a long time when you think about how short this is--but I had auditions for two plays, _Grease_ and _Whodunit_ (I was only prepared for _Grease_, but I got in both! =]) and then there's a choir thing tommorow so I've been preparing for it all week. But luckily it was Parent-Teacher Conference today, so no school to get in the way!**

**And I've been working on a series of one-shots so I'm not writing the same thing all the time, but we'll get into that later.**

**I've been rereading _Breaking Dawn_ and this story to check for mistakes, and I found one that stuck out big-time. Well, maybe not to you, but I definately noticed it. It was in Chapter 11: Ultimate Challenge, so go back and read that again. There's nothing really different with what happened before, it's just different people and more comical. Well, I tried to make it more comical. We'll just say it is.**

**Okay, well I'ma go now! Review!**

**=]**


	14. Alliance

**New chapter. Finally. I've been on an anti-writing mojo for a while. Well, at leas for this story I was. I've recently started a new story, _Trying to Exhale_ (I'm only on chapter two, but I'm hoping to get more on it soon) and I've been writing one-shots that haven't been published yet. But I'm working on it.**

**I actually wrote this chapter a few days ago, but my internet decided to quit working so I couldn't publish it. But now I can! But in the mean time, I started on Chapter 15, and I can honestly say that these chapters that seem to drag out are finally coming to an end. Yay!**

**Okay, so now read like the wind!**

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Without a doubt, we were all won over just that easily by this child who might or might not be immortal. And—whether I wanted to admit it or not—it didn't matter to me. I still felt obligated to protect her and her family.

"But there is the _grave danger _you warned us of," Tanya said, all business now. "Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?"

And now she believes me. Where was that faith a few hours ago when I brought it up the first time? Oh well. I can only hope she'll listen to me more in the future. It'll be a false hope, but hope nonetheless.

"When Bella saw Irina that day in the mountains," Edward explained, "she had Renesmee with her."

I narrowed my eyes, hissing. "_Irina_ did this? To you? To Carlisle? _Irina?" _I was furious. Beyond furious. How could she do this? Was she really that angry with the Cullens? Did she want revenge that bad? It just didn't sound like something Irina would do, but I had no reason to not believe Edward now.

"No," Tanya whispered, staring at some spot away from Edward's face.  
"Someone else . . ." She didn't want to believe it either, but neither of us could ignore it. Honestly, this was the closest I have ever felt to Tanya since . . . since the incident.

"Alice saw her go to them," Edward said solemnly, with finality. I looked more closely at his expression, and saw that his features changed ever so minutely when he said Alice's name, but I let it go. I had other things to worry about.

"How could she do this thing?" Eleazar asked the air in front of him.

"Imagine if you had seem Renesmee only from a distance. If you had not waited for an explanation," Edward prompted, trying to cut Irina one shred of slack. She didn't deserve it.

"No matter what she thought . . . You are our family," Tanya said fiercely, but adding sincerity to the last part. I truly saw that Tanya was angry with Irina as well, and when I looked over to Carmen, I saw that the set of her jaw was extremely firm, and I recognized the look as one she used when trying to hold back anger; Eleazar's face was impassive.

"There's nothing we can do about Irina's choice now. It's too late." Edward's eyes met with each of ours in turn. "Alice gave us a month."

I pulled my eyebrows together. This is the _Volturi_, here. When they want something done, they get it done, and they get it done sooner than a month. Why is this an exception?

"So long?" Eleazar asked, his head cocked to the side.

"They are all coming. That must take some preparation."

Eleazar gasped. "The entire guard?"

"Not just the guard," Edward said, his jaw tight. "Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives."

"Impossible."

"I would have said the same two days ago," Edward said.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Eleazar growled. "Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?"

"It doesn't make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we've done. She thought you could help us."

"More than punishment? But what else is there?" Eleazar asked the ground, pacing.

"Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?" Tanya asked.

Edward hesitated for a fraction of a second, then answered, "Looking for friends who might help us."

Tanya leaned forward, holding her hands in front of her. "Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can't help you _win_. We can only die with you. You must know that." She actually understood what I was saying—actually _listened_ . . . "Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past—for her sake that time as well." And the good moment was gone. She was back to making decisions for the rest of us, sacrificing our lives for the mistakes that she made. Though, I can't say I disagree. Someone needs to pay for Irina's actions, and it looks like we're gonna be the ones to do it.

Edward shook his head. "We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that." If this wasn't such a serious matter, I knew the exact smug expression Tanya would throw at me at this point.

But instead she asked, "Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain . . ." he trailed off, touching his daughter's—his _biological_ daughter's—cheek. "It's difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself."

Tanya nodded slowly. "Do you think her past will matter to them so much?"

"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed."

"I'm not dangerous at all," Renesmee added, her high, clear voice too advanced for one her age. "I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob." She dropped Edward's hand to reach back and pat Jacob's arm.

I exchanged a quick glance with Tanya, and I knew what she was thinking—if only she would hate werewolves, if only she would pose as a threat to them. If it was possible to love this child even more after just meeting her, I would if she would do that.

"If Irina had not come so soon," Edward mused, "we could have avoided all of this. Renesmee grows at an unprecedented rate. By the time a month has passed, she'll have gained another half year of development."

And that explained why she spoke so well, why her voice was so clear. She has a vampire's mind, but a human appearance. Definitely a curious half-breed.

"Well, that his something we can certainly witness," Carmen said in a decided tone. "We'll be able to promise that we've seen her mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?"

"How, indeed?" Eleazar mumbled, still pacing. He knew that the Volturi would find any way possible to just overlook this news and go along with their previous plans. He was with them for so long, and he knows how they work. It can be a comfort at times, to know how they think, but also a curse, because you have definite reminders of how little hope you have when you're up against them.

"Yes, we can witness for you," Tanya said for all of us. "Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," Edward protested, obviously hearing her thoughts, "we don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," she insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

There was only one reason in the world that Tanya would speak for all of us, and that was because she thought we were incapable of fulfilling the promise she would have made on our behalf. She wasn't going to be in the fun without me.

I snorted. "Do you really doubt me so much, sister?"

She smiled widely at me. "It _is_ a suicide mission, after all."

I grinned back at her repeat of my earlier words, then shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in."

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**For those of you who don't know and are now completely lost, I revised a couple of previous chapters (namely Chapter 10) so this one would make more sense. It seemed appropriate.**

**Well, I have another chapter to publish and a one-shot to revise, and you have a chapter to review, so I'll let us get back to that.**

**=]**


	15. First Encounter

**Okay, this chapter is pretty long and seems to drag out in some places (or, it did to me) but it's up! And guess what? Kate and Garrett finally meet! Yay. I was quite excited. I was up to the wee hours of the day last night to write this because I just couldn't let it go. It didn't come out as amazingly as I planned, but I have to spread the excitement or our two lovers might have to get married within the next three chapters. We don't want that.**

**I love writing Garrett, so his chapters might be a little longer than what Kate's are now, but that might change later, depending on my mood. You never know.**

**Here's Garrett, ladies and gentlemen!**

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When disposing of a body, I usually like to get creative, do things such as hide it in the floorboards of people's houses, in a trash bag in someone's car, etc. And when you're in the woods—like how I am now—there's a million options in front of you, you just have to pick one. My personal favorite is to hide several bodies in a tree for someone else to find, then see the story again in a newspaper. It's gratifying to know your work is being appreciated.

But the reason for doing none of these now was simple, but it still made me mad: My thoughts were too preoccupied with what's to come at the Cullen house. To have that distract a hunt . . . It's like I don't even know myself anymore.

I went for the easy way out—throwing the seven bodies in a river several miles away—and made my way west, to the Olympic Peninsula.

Most of the path through Montana was forest and mountains, not exactly an ideal family spot. Every now and then I would smell a human on a camping trip, or maybe who lived in the remote mountain area, but the burning in my throat was only minimal, so it was easily ignored.

I passed through Idaho quickly, the rain falling hard and fast on my clothes, soaking them through completely, leaving my hair sticking to my neck, but it was still relaxing. It made nature actually smell natural for once.

I stayed to the northern most part of Idaho, knowing not many people lived this close to the boarder. But when I did come across a small town, I made a quick detour and kept running—my mind wouldn't be able to handle stopping now.

I slowed down when I knew I was getting close to Washington, when the smell of humans living in the larger cities became more concentrated, but I still wasn't sure of where Forks, Washington was. Instead of stopping to find a map, I followed the scent of other vampires to guide me as it became more noticeable.

Once the scent became drastically stronger, I stopped completely.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, to brace myself for what I was about to do. I wasn't _afraid, _per se—it was just the excitement of the new challenge that I was about to face that was becoming overwhelming. It was much like when I first found the game almost two hundred years ago. It was the excitement that kept me going all those years, that made me unbeatable. But, luckily, I was about to find another challenge to entertain me.

The vampire scent, being stronger and more distinct to me, almost overpowered the human scent here, but they both were still hard to ignore: I wanted the blood of these humans strongly, but the immortal scent reminded me that now was not the time.

I stayed to the woods, away from houses, until I came upon a large white house.

Cautiously, I took a whiff of the air around me, just to make sure there were only vampires here. Sure enough, the sweet smell of my kind was coming from this house, but there was something else to it. An edge of some sort, something not quite vampire . . .

Curiosity for what that scent was pushed me up the stairs and to the door.

I wasn't sure what manners would demand in a situation like this, seeing as I was never one to partake in anything like them, so I kept safe and knocked on the door, trying not to break through it.

A young vampire, just shorter than me, opened the door.

"You must be Garrett," he said, smiling. The smile seemed forced, but what am I to say? "Emmett and Rosalie called to say they found you."

I didn't say anything in return, just looked at him. He had the same gold eyes as Carlisle, and I couldn't seem to look away. It was a scary thing to look at.

He opened the door wider, allowing me inside. I stepped around him and looked around at the interior of the house. Many colorful paintings covered the walls, which were all varying shades of whites. The furniture was all pastels, all just as impressive as that in Ashley's mansion, but with a more modern look.

But it wasn't the décor that surprised me—it was the other vampires standing in the room.

Off to the corner by the large window that took up the entire wall, two black-haired vampires were standing, scowls on their faces. They stood stiffly, not looking at anything else but the woods outside.

Sitting on the couch in front of a large TV were two more black-haired vampires, talking animatedly to each other. They looked back at the other two frequently, but they otherwise were completely unknowing of their existence.

By the stairs, three vampires were standing—one tall female, another a just as tall, lean blonde male, and a short, bouncy redhead female. The redhead was young, and obviously itching with want to be somewhere else that seemed more exciting, or maybe somewhere that wasn't with the other two. She smiled widely at me, happy for a new arrival. I looked away.

Two females were standing by the grand piano, not talking much. Something about them was weird, and I tried to look closer, but the male that showed me in interrupted me.

"I am Edward, Carlisle's son," he said, leading me to the dining room, where a brown-haired male was standing off to the side, watching the two females in the room closely. The females had their dark heads leaned together, smiling over something in the taller one's arms. When I looked closer, I saw it was a child.

I hesitated for a second, then froze in the doorway.

Hadn't I heard Carlisle say something about immortal children? They weren't allowed, were they? But why was this thing here? As I asked myself these questions, the child looked up at me, her brown curls cascading around her face. At the action, the two females over her looked up also, worry crossing their features. The female holding the child nervously flipped her hair behind her shoulder, standing up straighter, trying to look proud and unafraid. I saw right through it.

"This is my wife, Bella," Edward said, motioning to the female holding the child. "And this is our daughter, Renesmee."

Renesmee smiled brightly.

It took me a moment to realize what he had said. "And when you say 'daughter', you mean . . ."

"I mean she is our biological daughter."

I let confusion momentarily cover my face.

"I met Bella while she was still human, married her while she was still human." He walked over to his wife and put his arm around her. "She had this baby while she was still human."

The whole idea seemed creepy, even sick, but I didn't want to voice that. This was Carlisle's family, after all. But still . . .

"I know how horrible it sounds," Edward said, as if reading my mind, "but it's true. You know Carlisle, and he would have no reason to lie to you."

Then I realized I hadn't seen Carlisle anywhere, and I wondered if this was his plan or not.

"Carlisle is our family," Edward said sternly. "We are all together on this plan."

I looked up, surprised at his words. The male on the other side of the dining table chuckled softly.

"Come here and Renesmee will show you the story herself," Edward said.

"'Show' me?"

"Someone who thought the same of her as you do saw her without explanation, and now we are in danger. But I assure you, she is not immortal. As far as we know. She is half-vampire, half-human. She grows quickly, in mind and body. She is only a few months old, but she looks three, and has a more developed mind than any human child four times her age." He patted her curls, then looked back at me. "She is also very gifted. Come and see."

I hesitated, but took a few steps forward, keeping my eyes on the child. She reached her small hand out towards me, but was still several inches away from touching me.

She sighed exasperatedly.

"Closer, please," her high soprano voice said impatiently.

Stunned by her voice, I leaned closer, and she touched her almost-warm hand to my face.

Pictures wheeled through my head, catching me off guard. They didn't make any sense at first, then faces showed through the murky images, and they became sharper. I saw her human mother—Bella—holding her while lying on what looked like a hospital bed, but the walls surrounding it didn't match. Then the scene changed to Edward holding her, humming a tune; then of the blonde vampire I saw in the forest brushing her hair; then a tall, dark, muscled teenager playing with her. There were several scenes like these, but the mood seemed to change when Renesmee, already two years older in appearance, looked out to the mountains and saw a murderous blonde vampire hissing at her, then vanishing from sight.

The kid pulled her hand from my face and looked at me, her face blank, if not bored.

The four and a half vampires looked at me expectantly.

"She's really yours?" I asked Bella.

She beamed. "Yes," she whispered. I saw now how their smiles matched, how their hair curled the same way. There was no doubt this child biologically belonged to these two parents, but no one would guess that at first glance. Her beautiful features, though on a young face, looked like those of a vampire, but now I could hear her pulse, faster than a human's, but smelled closer to mortal than immortal. If I hadn't seen what she showed me, I wouldn't believe it either.

"So this is why the Volturi are coming?"

"But they don't know the whole story yet," Edward answered. "We're hoping they'll listen before the worst happens."

"And if the worst happens . . .?"

"We're not asking you to fight," he answered simply, but with a knowing look on his face.

"I never said—"

"But you thought."

Confusion and surprise covered my face again, but I let it go. "So why are we all here?" I motioned behind me, indicating the other vampires in the house. "What's our purpose?"

"Simply to witness," he answered. "We expect nothing more."

I nodded.

_Learn to expect the unexpected_, I thought.

As I turned to leave, I saw Edward's mouth turn up slightly at the corners, as if fighting a smile, or a smirk. As if he read my thoughts . . .

_What now?_

I scanned over the crowd of vampires again, then realizing that no one had moved, I decided to go outside for a run. The brown-haired vampire, Eleazar, said to steer clear of the Indian reservation just south of Forks, so I thought taking a detour up through Canada would suffice.

Just as I was leaving, I passed by the two females who were standing by the piano, and I was startled by their appearances again. There was something about them, I was sure of it. I studied them more closely, but feeling my gaze, they both looked up. The strawberry-blonde one looked confused, if not a little bid offended by my stare; the blonde merely looked interested, almost curious.

As their eyes locked with mine, I saw what it was that made them stand out from the others, from me. They had the same golden eyes as Carlisle, as Edward, and how Bella's will soon be after they lose their newborn look.

I always thought Carlisle's family was the only coven that pulled themselves away from the human blood, but I was obviously wrong—how many people are truly following that diet?

I broke the gaze and began walking towards the door.

"You are staying, aren't you?"

I turned.

The blonde one, the shorter one, had taken a step closer to me, her head slightly to the side. Her question wasn't evasive or interrogating, just curious.

"Yes. Unless there's a problem with it . . ." I trailed off.

"Not a problem with me, but those two over there might have one." She pointed to the couple by the window. As we looked over at them, they turned their scowl to us. I laughed.

"They'll be fine," I assured her, waving it off.

The strawberry-blonde one rolled her eyes.

"I'm Kate." She held out her hand.

"Garrett," I said, shaking it. There was a slight shock as I touched her hand, but I ignored it. It wasn't anything horrible.

"And this is Tanya," she said as if she had just remembered she was there.

"Hello," Tanya said, smiling briefly, unconvincingly, then her face went back to the blank mask it was before.

I looked back to Kate. She met my gaze and I couldn't look away. The color of her eyes was so . . . bizarre and different. I found myself staring at her intently, until she flinched away. At first, I was confused, but then I realized what my eyes must look like to her—flat, red, and dangerous. I looked to the ground.

"So you're like the . . ." I trailed off, pointing my thumb behind me at Edward and Bella in the other room.

"The Cullens? Well, yes they're our extended family—Oh! You mean our diet." She nodded slowly. "Yes, we drink only animal blood."

"And that's okay for you?"

"Of course it is. It doesn't fill you up as easily, but that only makes hunting more fun." She laughed slightly.

I tried to laugh also.

"I'm guessing you've never tried it," she said after a pause.

"No, no, I've . . . thought about it," I lied unconvincingly.

"Really?"

"Of course."

She looked at me for a second. Tanya coughed behind her.

"Then would you like to go hunting with me?" she asked in a challenging voice, obviously seeing through my act.

I looked away for a second, trying to hide my smile. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

She laughed.

I asked her several more questions about her and her family's diet, and I found out that Eleazar and the shorter female in the dining room—Carmen was her name—were also in their family. I thought she said something about there being five members in her family, but I only counted four. I didn't ask questions—I tend not to unless it's for a crucial piece of information—and we weren't interrupted until we noticed that the sun had finally gone down.

Tanya came up behind Kate.

"Kate, we need to go back to Denali for a few hours." She spoke only to Kate. Then she turned to me. "We weren't sure of how long we were staying, so we didn't bring any clothes," she explained.

"Oh, right. Of course," I said nodding.

"Kate, go get Carmen and Eleazar. I'll get the car."

"Okay," she answered quietly. "So you'll go hunting with us when we get back, right?" she challenged again.

I sighed dramatically and looked out the window. "I'll have to think about it."

She smiled smugly and made her way to the dining room.

"Nice meeting you, Tanya," I said as politely as I could as she walked to the door.

She paused for a second, turning her head slightly towards me. She merely grunted.

I sat down on the piano bench, still feeling the rush of an upcoming challenge. Now so many challenges—the battle with the Volturi, the "vegetarian" diet Kate's family seemed so dedicated to, and Kate herself. There definitely was something about her, but I've yet to completely find out what. It truly will be an interesting challenge.

One I'll be forced to accept.

* * *

**I'm proud. Very. I actually updated! Yay.**

**Now, I'm not too talented when it comes to that lovely little thing we like to call "fluff", so I might need some help with that. It's not coming up soon, but I'ma start working on it. Just tell me what kind of stuff you want to see (no limes or lemons or whatever you call it. That's not how I roll) and I'll do my best.**

**One more announcement: If you have any ideas for one-shots that you would like to see published, tell me. I have two that are publishable now, but I want at least four, maybe five before I make a strictly one-shot story. If you give me an idea and I use it, I'll give you credit for the idea. Full credit. I could even write you a song if that tickles your fancy. Not a good one, but whatever it takes to get a gosh-darn idea. I'm out of 'em.**

**One more thing, I'm thinking about changing my penname, so watch out for that.**

**=]**


	16. Social Rank

****

Before we start this chapter, I have something that I want to share that I have just found out. Carmen calls Renesmee _mi querida_ a couple times in _Breaking Dawn_ and even more in this story, so I felt compelled to look it up on my best friend Google and now I'm going to tell you just in case you didn't already know. _Mi querida _means "my beloved". I thought it was kinda weird that Carmen would call baby Renesmee that, but she did. At least, that's what the website told me. If some of you people who know Spanish better than I do know an alternate meaning for it, tell me. I don't want to keep the wrong definition up here forever . . .

**And here's Kate!**

* * *

With a strange dazed feeling, I made my way to the dining room. Somewhere in my mind, I knew that I was supposed to go there, but I couldn't think of why until I got there and looked inside at Carmen and Eleazar standing over Renesmee, Carmen crooning soft Spanish words to her, smiling. Bella watched proudly, Edward behind her, a smile on his lips.

Right.

"Uh—Eleazar, Tanya needs you—needs you to go get the car," I stammered, trying to gather my thoughts that were now mysteriously scrambled to the point to where they were almost incomprehensible.

Eleazar and Carmen looked up at me, surprised.

"Does she need to go somewhere?" he asked. "She can drive."

"She said she needed to go get more clothes," I said, remembering what she had told me.

"Did she not pack half her closet already when we first came up here?" Carmen asked. Renesmee in her arms looked at all our faces in turn, trying to figure out what's going on. She touched her hand to Carmen's face. "I'm not sure, _mi querida_, but it'll be okay." Renesmee seemed to relax more at that.

No I remembered that Tanya did bring suitcases when we came here, but what was in them, I didn't know. I wasn't in the mood to argue about it, though.

"Maybe she forgot something." Highly unlikely, but it's still not impossible. "She still needs to go. Perhaps she doesn't want to go without all of us."

Carmen sighed. She slowly walked across the room and handed Renesmee back to Bella. "We will be back, I promise," she said to the child.

"We'll just see what Tanya needs, then we'll come back instantly," Eleazar ensured Edward, who looked slightly confused at whatever Eleazar was thinking. I didn't question any of it, just went back to the main room. Just as I stepped into it, my gaze met Garrett's, his blazing red eyes piercing mine. I flinched from their extreme color, but didn't look away—the expression behind them was almost incomprehensible. He was almost . . . _eager. _It was odd. I had theories about why he would look like that, but I wasn't going to voice them, even in my head.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Tanya had came back in through the front door, apparently thinking we had taken too long getting out there.

"Are we not going?" she asked, reaching out to pull Carmen and Eleazar through the door, seeing as they were the closest. I sighed heavily and followed, making sure not to look back over at Garrett.

Tanya quickly put the bags in the trunk and took her seat before any of us had even gotten down the steps. Eleazar unhurriedly got in the driver's seat and started the car; Carmen and I began walking in an almost human pace.

Tanya sighed. "Do we want to get to Alaska and back before the month is up or not?" she asked acidly.

Carmen rolled her eyes and got in the car. I opened the door silently.

"What are we going to get anyway, sister?" Eleazar asked. "We have the clothes we need."

"But not a month's worth," she reminded him. "We didn't expect to stay this long, and we need to be prepared for it."

We took that as a good enough excuse—nothing stops Tanya from over-packing, even if it does mean gathering everything we can and can't fit into the car and taking it wherever we're going.

But there was something about her tone and expression that caught me off guard, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint it. I tried to figure it out during the entire ride back to Denali, but it never came to me.

When we got back to our log house, Tanya quickly ran upstairs, not meeting anyone's questioning gazes, forgetting the suitcases we had already bought and put in the trunk. I grabbed them for her and followed after her.

"You forgot these," I told her once I got to her room. She jumped slightly at my words, as if she didn't hear me coming. Maybe she wasn't paying attention.

"Oh," was all she said when she took the suitcases from my hand.

I watched her carefully, taking note of her every move, trying to decipher her weird mood. She saw me looking.

"What?" she asked, taking her gaze from her closet and setting it on me for a fraction of a second.

I hesitated for a moment. "What's wrong with you? You're acting . . . odd," I finished lamely.

"Nothing's wrong," she answered too quickly. Her face was too blank, trying not to show her expression.

"Tanya, you have been my sister too long for me not to know that it's never _nothing_."

"It's just . . . Never mind."

"Tell me."

"I shouldn't."

"Tanya," I said more sternly.

She looked up at me. "It's just . . . the others there, I guess. I didn't want to make a decision about us about staying there without talking about it, but I didn't want to discuss it with all those other people around. I wanted our words to be confidential."

Then I realized what she was saying. The only person who would hear our true intentions—much less, actually care about them—was Edward. Tanya said she didn't want to make a decision around him, because of what we might say. Or what _she_ might say. Would Tanya want to stay there? Would any sane being want to stay there? Tanya didn't want to stay because she couldn't handle seeing Bella with Edward. It didn't matter to her that they could be killed—she had her own heart to worry about. But, like she said, this was our _family_. She couldn't let her personal problems get in the way of protecting our family.

I was at loss for words.

Seeing the mixture of expressions play across my face at my sudden realization, she began to look worried for me. "Kate, are you okay?"

"The 'others' is only one person, isn't it?" I asked, trying to take the accusation out of my voice. I wanted her to tell me, not to think I would be judgmental about it, though I knew I would be if I was right.

"Yes," she said quietly after a moment.

That's all I needed.

"So you're really going to sacrifice their lives—our lives—just because you're not strong enough to handle it?" I stood perfectly still, my face absolutely blank as I said this, hoping it would keep me calm. It almost worked.

She looked confused. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice dripping with honesty.

I didn't buy it.

"You know what I mean! You're hiding, Tanya, because you're too scared to face the fact that he's _married_!" I began pacing towards her, my face beginning to register the fury that was boiling up inside my head.

She looked astonished at my words. "Kate, you aren't in the place to make accusations about—"

"I'm not, am I?" I got just inches from her face. "You don't want to stay and help, do you?" I said more quietly. "You don't want to see them together."

Tanya's expression was furious, and she wasn't able to control it. She pushed me with her inhuman strength backwards and I crashed through the wall and fell in the hallway, leaving a dent in the floor. She slowly walked to where I lay, standing over me, her face holding it's angry expression.

I didn't get up. I just looked at her threateningly.

"You done?" she asked.

"Not after that." I got up, and I just stared at her for a second, hoping to take her by surprise. She stared back.

Now, Eleazar and Carmen were standing at the top of the stairs, ready to jump in and stop us.

"Is this really necessary?" Eleazar asked, trying to be the voice of reason. We ignored him.

Tanya kept staring at me. It only angered me more

I growled and jumped for her. She easily dodged me and I made another hole in the wall.

"Kate," Carmen said warningly.

I lay in the rubbish from the wall, staring up at Tanya angrily.

She bent down next to me. "Are you ready to know the real reason why I wanted to leave?"

I said nothing. She took it as a "yes".

"It was you. You and that . . . man," she said uncertainly. "It was completely irrational."

"Irrational?" I spat. "Jealous, sister? Angry that Edward didn't give you one shred of that attention?" I let the anger boil out of me, hoping it hurt her.

Her smug expression barely faltered. "That's not it at all. But you seem to really like accusations."

"Then why?" I asked, my voice one of acid.

Carmen looked back and forth between us again and again, not sure what the outcome would be. I was as anxious about it.

"Do you not realize who he is?" she asked. "What he does?"

"He's Garrett. That's all I know. You didn't really give me much of a chance to make conversation."

"What's his diet?"

"Blood," I said after a moment. I didn't want to admit openly that he killed humans for food.

"Human blood," Tanya specified. "He's nothing like you."

"Well you don't know that," I spat. "And I don't, either, because I _didn't get to talk to him_."

"Kate," Tanya said, her voice and face completely serious. "He's a _nomad_. You can't be serious about him."

"So this is about . . . about _social rank_?" I asked incredulously.

"Nomads aren't as civilized as we are," she continued. "They don't have serious . . . _relationships_. They have a mate until they get bored. Then they move on."

"You seem to talk from experience," I said.

"You saw Laurent and Irina."

I was taken aback. That was the first time anyone has said their names together since Laurent was killed. It was nothing like when I thought his name with hatred, just days before Irina left us. No—this time it was like someone had set a fire aflame inside of me, lapping up at my insides, threatening to come out.

Tanya remained looking at me with those piercing eyes, either oblivious to how much her words cut me or not caring. I felt as the fire raging inside of me burn up to my eyes and my vision went red. I was aware of the electricity coursing throughout my body, but I didn't acknowledge it. I'll use it when I need it.

I began shaking with anger. It was uncontrollable. I wasn't sure if it was from the empowering waves over my skin or my fury, but I was going to use it to my advantage whatever it was. I crouched down, my fingers curled into claws, and I jumped for Tanya, sure I wasn't going to miss this time.

But I collided with something sooner than I anticipated, and from a different angle. I didn't realize until I was already on the floor again that Eleazar took it upon himself to come between our fight. He had jumped between us to keep us from tearing each other apart and burning the pieces.

Eleazar was momentarily paralyzed from the shock he got that was intended for Tanya, but he still managed to look at me frantically, panting. I glared at him.

Tanya's face was just the same as it was before I jumped, just slightly more surprised at Eleazar's attempt at bravery. She met my gaze evenly.

"Do you truly want to relive Irina's mistake?" she asked as Carmen went to help Eleazar up. She looked at Tanya in astonishment.

I stood up quickly, brushing the debris from the crashed wall off of my clothes and the hair from my mouth. "No thanks," I declined acidly. "I'm capable of making my own mistakes."

I turned sharply and made my way to the window.

Tanya sighed behind me. "Kate—," she tried to soothe, reaching for my shoulder.

"_Don't touch me_," I growled over my shoulder as she made contact with it.

And, without a backwards glance, I jumped out of the window.

* * *

**This chapter seems more dramatic and soap opra-ish to me. I had fun writing it, though! Drama is my forte. **

**But I'm not sure where Kate's going or anything like that. There's still about a week worth of stuff due to happen before Carlisle and Esme return, so we'll just see what happens with this. It just wouldn't be right if Kate made that threatening line without a dramatic exit.**

**By the way, you need to go enter a pre-Twilight one-shot to FeelBetterBoy'sGF-JasperLuv-'s AprilMay contest, Apple Blossom! All entries are due May 31 at midnight! Go check out her profile for details.**

**Keep reading and reviewing!**

**=]**


	17. The Nomads

**Sorry. This chapter is kinda short. But there just wasn't much to do with it. It's kinda a let-down after the dramatic Kate chapter, I know, but it's all I got right now.**

**Go ahead and read!**

* * *

After Kate left to get the rest of her family—the two dark-haired vampires that were standing in the dining room—I stayed where I was, people-watching, if you will.

As they were leaving, Kate met my gaze once more. She shied away from the intensity of my red irises slightly, but then tried to hide it by matching my stare until she walked out the door.

I listened as the car doors slammed shut and it accelerated down the dirt driveway, then as it sped up even more as it hit pavement. The car gained speed steadily until it drove out of hearing range. I idly wondered how fast the car was going, and how fast it could go. The thoughts made me remember that I never got my Ferrari from Ashley all those months ago. Or maybe it was just days. It felt like months.

Hours had past, the sun had moved behind the trees lining the green yard, and I stayed where I was, standing behind the piano.

As I watched, more nomads like myself joined the party, a male and a female. The male was tall with short black hair that spiked at the ends. His face was long with narrow features. His clothing hinted name-brand designers. I suspected he was from New York.

The female was shorter—only to the male's shoulder—with curly, light brown hair. Her ruby-red eyes darted to each face in the room anxiously, showing hints of paranoia. She jumped when Edward came to lead them through the doorway.

Cautiously, both nomads walked into the dining room where they would meet the child and either stay or leave. I listened closely to the conversation on the other side of the wall.

"Hello," Edward greeted once the door was closed behind them. "I am Edward Cullen, Carlisle's son."

"I am Randall," a rich tenor voice replied.

"And I am Mary," a lower female voice added. I could imagine the female's face tight and stiff, eyes darting all over the room.

"So you came together?" Edward asked.

"Yes," Randall answered, "but we don't live together. We ran into each other on the way."

"But we both are friends of Carlisle and are willing to help," Mary chimed in.

"I don't want you to make any dedications until you get the story first," Edward said in a low voice.

It was quiet for a moment as he let the nomads digest his words.

"This is my wife, Bella,"—both nomads gasped as footsteps from the corner of the room advanced towards them—"And this is our daughter, Renesmee."

"_Daughter_?" Mary hissed. "What is this?"

"If you would just listen to our story—,"

"You're asking us to _listen_ to this—this—," Mary was at loss for words.

"Yes I am," Edward said politely in that same I-know-everything way he talked to me hours ago.

"You are Carlisle's son, right?" Randall confirmed. I guessed Edward nodded because Randall continued. "Well, why would we not have a reason to trust him?" he asked Mary.

Mary grunted.

"One person didn't listen to our story beforehand and now we're in this predicament," Edward said with quiet politeness, but there was an edge to it. "So, if you'll please listen . . ."

"Just tell us," Mary said, impatient.

"Actually, I like to show you," a high soprano voice said that I recognized as Renesmee.

"My daughter is very talented," Edward explained when both nomads hesitated.

Feet walked forward a few steps towards the child and her mother and stopped.

Renesmee sighed. "Please come closer," she said impatiently. I guessed she's been saying this a lot lately.

Reluctantly, I heard the weight shift as the person bent lower to the child's face. A low gasp issued from the person's mouth and I realized it was Randall, surprised at the sudden flow of memories coming from Renesmee.

The quick, deep pulse of the werewolf was the only thing that let me know he was there. Well, besides the exasperated sigh he let out every now and then.

Immeasurable minutes passed before Randall stepped backwards, completely dumbfounded and stuttering.

"This is not an immortal child!" he exclaimed to Mary. "She's truly—she's not—these people—," he stumbled over his words trying to sum up everything he saw in a few words.

Mary sighed. "Lemme see."

She proceeded to the child and her reaction was the same as Randall's. They animatedly began discussing the things they just saw, then realized the danger of the situation.

"So are you going to stay with us?" Bella asked cautiously.

"I can't guarantee we would win, but we will stand for what is right," Randall said proudly.

"No, my friend, we are not asking you to fight. Merely witness," Edward specified.

"And you thing the Volturi would listen?"

"If we have enough witnesses to make them stop, yes."

Randall thought for a moment. "We will stay and . . . _witness_. But if it turns to a fight, we'll stand for the child and her family."

The couple turned and walked out of the dining room.

"I like them," the werewolf approved. I heard his joints crack as he stretched. "Still bloodsuckers, but I'll be seeing a lot of those now."

Renesmee giggled and jumped from her mother's arms and I heard her small feet run to the dining table. A chair creaked as the werewolf picked her up and put her in his lap, laughing.

I eyed the two vampires as they walked out. They said they were willing to fight if it came to one, like I did. But the difference was they were willing to fight for the child, I only wanted to fight the Volturi.

They made their way out to the porch, seeing all the other vampires in the room—mainly the two dark-haired ones in the back—talking quietly. As I watched them, I wondered, if it wasn't the Volturi that was the enemy, if I would stay to help this family. Ashley's entire being was dedicated to protecting his family, not because he wanted to fight the enemy, but because he wanted his descendants to be safe; Mary and Randall didn't want to fight the Volturi, but they wanted to help the Cullens.

Maybe this challenge was going to be more than I thought.

* * *

**Ooh, second thoughts. Dun Dun DUNN.**

**Now that school's out (well, not officially til the 21st, but my last day is the 18th :]) I'll be able to find more time to write and get some of that dreaded "fluff" in here. But I've got some ideas for the rest of the story and they won't stop coming, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit it all in one story without making it like 500 chapters long. So here's the question: Would anyone here read a sequel to this story if I got it together? Or would you rather an uberlong story? It doesn't matter to me at all, but I like to hear people's opinions on these things.**

**Also, enter the Apple Blossom contest, dangit! I'm serious! Go to FeelBetterBoy'sGF-JasperLuv-'s profile and enter her AprilMay contest. Just write a one-shot that takes place any time before Edward and Bella first cross paths that's at least 1000 words. But don't make it too long. I did on one of my entries . . . He-heh. All entries are due May 31st at midnight! Get to writing!**

**But before you do that, review! Tell me what you think about the chapter and the whole Should-I-Make-A-Sequel thing. I would love your help.**

**Also, keep watching out for a pen name change. It might be coming. I'm not positive yet . . .**

**=]**


	18. Competition

**This chapter isn't as dramatic as the last Kate chapter, but you've got to draw the line somewhere, right? She's had a lot of drama in this story, so I decided to give her a break. I'm just that nice.**

**Also, I know I said earlier that Kate's sister's name was Ann, but some of you reviewers out there told me about the _Twilight Lexicon _and I decided to check it out. It said that Kate was Russian, so I changed her sister's name to something more Russian, like Anya. You can check Chapter 8; I changed it there too. But if any of you out there have seen the cartoon musical of _Anistasia_, then you will see why I would now break out into song every time I write about her sister. If not, I'll fill you in later as to why.**

**So, here's Chapter 18!**

* * *

I didn't go far when I left, just a couple miles out. But still no one bothered to come for me, not even Eleazar—they knew I wasn't in the mood for visitors.

Now I was sitting in a snow-covered valley under the cover of evergreen trees, making designs in the snow with my finger. I lay my hand flat against the white mush, comparing the colors. The snow was slightly browner from the dirt of animals that walked over it before me, but other than that, they were almost exactly the same.

I remembered when I was in Russia with my family almost sixty years ago. Me and Anya used to sit in the snow during the week of Hanukah and compare our skin tones to the icy drift. Every time, it would end in a snow fight and Mother telling us to come inside before we got sick. It's funny how irony works.

I looked down at my snow-white hand now and tried to imagine it with a tanner tint that showed a pulse of blood, my fingertips red from the cold . . .

I quickly pushed the memory away. I never regretted what I've become before, and I shouldn't start now.

I buried my hand in the snow, looking at it again. I didn't feel the cold, didn't feel my body heat trying to warm my fingers—I could barely even tell the difference from the snow and my skin.

I pulled my hand out of the snow quickly, launching chunks of it in the sky. If the bits were smaller and lighter, it could almost look like snowflakes, but I didn't stay around long enough to see if they did. I was gone before a single one touched the ground.

When I got close to the log cabin Sasha built all those years ago, I took to the trees—I didn't want to take Tanya's harsh words on the ground. But once I got close—and easily visible—no one came looking for me. I was momentarily relieved, but also disappointed; was something wrong, or have I run away so many times that they just stopped caring?

But once these thoughts made coherent sentences in my brain, Carmen came out carrying suitcases and loading them into the car. She carefully kept her eyes away from the tree I was standing in. I could hear footsteps in the house, but it was still unusually quiet. I hoped I didn't cause that.

Like the coward that I have chosen to be at this moment, I waited for Carmen to go back inside before I jumped from my hiding place. I knew they would see me no matter when I jumped, but some part of my pride didn't want to do it while anyone was standing there.

Slowly, I walked back inside.

Only Eleazar was sitting in the living room, watching the local news channel; Carmen and Tanya were rushing upstairs, packing. I sat beside Eleazar, but I didn't watch the TV. My gaze stayed outside at the rising sun. We left Forks just as the sun went down, and now it was coming up. How long was I gone? I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even bother to distract my thoughts by counting the seconds that passed or the blades of grass or anything. I had no way of keeping the time.

"They tried to wait on you to pack, but they decided to get started without you," Eleazar told me. "They knew you'd be back soon."

"Too bad I missed the epic sport of packing. Or the sight that is Tanya's closet," I joked, trying a laugh. It came out wrong.

Eleazar chuckled. His sounded normal.

"Tanya wanted to go look for you," Eleazar tried again. "But I said it would be best to let you come back on your own."

I was momentarily flattered and embarrassed by his words—Tanya wanted to look for me? She cared where I was?

"It was better for us to wait, right?" he said after a moment. His Hispanic accent always slips into a conversation when he knows he's right.

I thought about it for a second. Yes, it was better to wait. I was embarrassed that my family knows my flaws so well to know when to leave me alone, but I was also relieved that they didn't bother me. I didn't want them seeing me like that.

I nodded.

He smiled. Of course he was right. My brother is always right. Even when we would rather he be wrong.

"Eleazar, ready to go?" Tanya asked, carefully keeping her eyes on her feet as she passed behind the couch.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, dipping his head slightly like a gentleman. "Kate?"

"Yes, I'm ready," I said in a small voice.

"They have your suitcases in the car—"

"Okay, everyone load up!" Tanya interrupted, rushing to the door.

Eleazar rolled his eyes and my head hung in shame. Though Tanya was usually like this, I still hated knowing it was because of me.

Eleazar held the door open and I walked out to the car, where I would sit beside Tanya for the entire drive back to Forks. I silently wished Eleazar would drive faster than he ever had before. Anything to get me out of that car quicker.

The entire ride was filled with an awkward silence, and we were all glad when we parked the car in the Cullen garage.

Before the vehicle even stopped, Tanya opened the door and was to the front door while we made our way in a slightly more normal pace. Well, as close as normal as we can possibly get.

When realizing no one was behind her, she looked back to the car, waiting on us. For a fraction of a second, our eyes met and she let the hatred behind them show, burning into mine. I looked away quickly. Tanya rushed inside.

Carmen, who I'm guessing saw the exchange, glanced apologetically at me. I took it as telling me I was forgiven.

Tanya, however, wasn't going to be that merciful.

As I closed the car door behind me, Carmen came up and patted me on the back. "It'll be okay," she promised.

I wanted to ask how she could possibly know that, but I didn't. The question still lingered in my mind as we walked to the door, though. How could she predict the outcome when the situation doesn't even make sense? After all, Tanya's the one that insulted _me_. Aren't _I _supposed to be the upset one?

But I didn't have the chance to answer these questions, because the door suddenly opened, and it was time to start the Perfect Family act.

The sky outside was made fresh and bright by the new morning, the colors ranging from yellow to a deep blue, going from left to right.

I scanned the room once, seeing if any new vampires arrived—all I saw was a rough-looking couple who I categorized as nomads. But it wasn't that what caught and held my attention. No, it was the tall, blonde vampire in the corner, and the short redhead with him.

My gut felt like it shrunk to the size of a corn seed when I saw Garrett with Maggie of Ireland.

I looked around to see if anyone was seeing what I saw, and I caught Tanya's gaze. Once meeting my eyes, her expression became smug, and she shrugged in an "I told you so" manner.

I didn't even have the will to do as much as stick my tongue out at her—I just rushed outside before anyone saw me.

I stopped on the porch, but realized it seemed too open for me to privately burry myself in embarrassment, so I ran around to the back yard, then to the woods behind it, only halting when I stood face-to-face with a river.

I tried to get my bearings, then noticed I was holding my breath—I doubted I had taken a breath since I walked into the living room. I inhaled deeply, trying to smell the things around me and clear my mind.

After a few moments of deep breathing, I decided my behavior was completely irrational. It's not like I planned anything to happen with Garrett anyway. We only talked once—I didn't know his past, his friends, his favorite color. I didn't even know his last name. But it still felt like being cheated on. Maybe not as Earth-shattering, because I hadn't spent a lifetime with him, but it still took a hit at my self-esteem. Which I shouldn't have a problem with. Why should such human things bother me? Why should I let these unnecessary emotions interfere with worrying for Irina?

There are so many questions I ask myself that never get answered.

I walked back into the living room, trying to act as nonchalant as I could. I didn't want to give Tanya the satisfaction of proving her right. Even though she wasn't right—my heart wasn't broken, just mildly bruised.

Carefully avoiding anyone's eyes, I made my way to the dining room where Bella and Carmen stood holding Renesmee.

"Kate!" a familiar voice called to me from the back corner of the room.

I turned unwillingly.

"Kate," Garrett said again, waving me over. "This is Maggie," he introduced.

I put my best martyred face on. "Hello."

Maggie reached out to shake my hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," I said as sincerely as I could, but something about her expression changed when I said it.

"Maggie can detect lies," Garrett continued.

That explains it.

"Really? I'm sure the government would love you have you on the force. With a built-in lie detector, you would be all set." I attempted to lighten the mood and cover up the lie she saw, but it didn't work as well; Garrett's face showed how he tried to keep his smile up.

"But I don't think they'd enjoy the part where I drink blood . . ." At least she was playing along. I let a small laugh through my lips.

I was very tense and jumpy, so when Eleazar came up behind me and touched my shoulder, I couldn't stop the shock that pushed his hand away.

Eleazar jerked his hand back quickly, then dropped it awkwardly at his side. I glanced back at him over my shoulder, trying to silently tell him it was an accident.

I turned back slowly to Garrett and Maggie, afraid of their reactions. Garrett looked confused; Maggie's face was hilarious. Frightened—but hilarious.

"Uh . . ." Garrett said, hinting for me to explain.

"I kinda have a skill of my own," I said timidly.

"Really?" He truly looked interested.

"Yeah," I said, gaining confidence. "I can send electric shocks to people upon contact. A strictly defensive gift, but it helps in a fight." I shrugged. Why was I so determined to out-shine Maggie and her skill? I always had a competitive nature, but never have I stooped so low as to fight over a mate—a nomad, at that.

"I'll have to see this in action some time," Garrett said thoughtfully.

And I hate to say that his words sent chills down my spine.

* * *

**And, by popular demand, I have been thinking about whether or not to make a sequel. It looks like I'm just going to keep it and it's beautifully long glory. (I'm sorry, but the band geek in me just can't say that with a strait face. Ppfah!)**

**This story was so . . . so . . . girly, I guess would be the word. So not like the stuff I write about. It seems so immature to me, I guess. I don't konw. But this begins Kate's and Garrett's change to realization and all that lovely stuff. Ugh. I don't know if some people see that as romantic and whatnot, but it's just a rough start for me. Maybe this lovey-dovey stuff will warm up to me eventually.**

**Got anything to say? Anything? Well, just review! And don't forget the deadline for the Apple Blossom Contest! May 31st, 12:00am! Go to FeelBetterBoy'sGF-JasperLuv-'s site for details!**

**=]**


	19. Arguments

**If I have ever said in some previous chapter "This is short," then I take it back. This chapter is bound to be shorter. But it's not boring-short, just short; there's still stuff going on. An actual Kate/Garrett moment!**

**Also, I would like to apologize now to the people who I told in review replys that I wasn't TEAM JACOB. I might've come off a little rude or harsh or whatever, but I can't really help that. Those are the words I truly use in regular conversation, but I guess it's the tone of voice that lets people know that I'm not being rude. You can't really hear my tone of voice here. So I'm sorry if I seemed a little upset over it. I can't really do anything to help it. If I did, I just wouldn't feel right. I don't like changing people and I don't like people trying to change me.**

**But on a more pleasant note, if you're a fan of Cute Is What We Aim For, then you'll be happy to hear that I wrote this chapter while playing "Curse of Curves", so it just seems like it fits now. So that is the selected listening for this chapter! Go to or somewhere and listen to it while reading so you can tell me if you think it fits too. There are parts where it's a little weird to relate to the story, but overall, it just worked.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'll have to see this in action some time."

"Yes, I guess you will." And she walked off with her brother.

I was momentarily frozen by her sudden exit, but Maggie returned to her regular bubbly self quickly and began talking about something or other, but I wasn't paying attention.

"She wasn't lying about that, you know," she said after a moment.

". . . Huh?—What?" I said, only catching a few of the words she said.

"I said she wasn't lying. I would take that as an invitation, if I were you."

"To . . . watch her?" I was confused. I've done some things that would classify as stalker-ish in my time, but this just crossed the line. By about a mile.

"Not follow her everywhere she goes, of course," Maggie explained. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

"No." She frowned when she saw I wasn't lying.

"Well, I guess you will find out eventually." She turned to walk away. "Nice talking to you!"

"Yeah, you too," I said absentmindedly.

"Ugh, just stop thinking about her and go talk to her!" she said exasperatedly.

"But I wasn't—" Maggie frowned at me and cocked her head to the side, looking so much like a teenager. "Okay. Fine."

She smiled and strode off.

Maggie definitely did have an extraordinary talent. Even if it would get me into trouble.

I tried on several occasions the next few days to talk to Kate, ask her about her family's diet, maybe demonstrate her intriguing gift, but I never got the chance. If we were in a room together, she would stay on the opposite side, not returning the glances I knew she noticed I was giving her. She always had people around her to talk to, whether it was her family, or the dark-haired couple that she joked about my first day here. I didn't have a single chance to talk to her.

Several days passed and I watched as Kate's eyes grew noticeably darker from thirst. But I could do nothing to help. All I could do was stand behind and watch.

I decided that after three days of silence, I would approach Kate and ask her myself what was going on, but I knew it wouldn't happen as I planned. Not much that I ever try to do does.

"Hello, Kate," I greeted pleasantly. It felt more like luring in a target rather than casual conversation.

"Garrett." She nodded over her shoulder at me, then returned to talking to Eleazar, Carmen, Siobhan and Liam.

I tried to join in the conversation—or at least look like I was in the conversation—but Kate pushed me out every time. Carmen, who was standing beside Kate, noticed this, but didn't do anything to help; the opposing side or her sister's side.

Finally, she became frustrated with the game and pushed me out of the group and led me towards the front door.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"What? Can I not join a heated conversation of . . . What are they talking about again?"

"The Volturi guard."

"Is that all you people talk about here?"

"What?" She looked stung by my question.

"It seems like it's the only topic of discussion here," I continued.

"They are the reason we're here," she replied icily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But it's not like we're _forced_ to stay," I explained. "We are here of our own free will."

"Yes, we know we have a choice to leave, but what does that have to do with what we talk about?"

"I don't know—you brought it up!"

"I did not."

"Yes you did."

"Are we actually going to argue about this?"

"Yes we are. Now just admit you brought it up."

"I'm not going to!"

I sighed. "Kate, we can do this the hard way, or we could do it the easy way," I said menacingly. "It's your choice."

"Now you're seriously threatening me? _Me_?"

"Oh, darling, I have seen things your little eyes will never see." I stepped closer to her, bending my head lower so they were almost touching. I kept the smug smile on my face.

She looked at me for a moment, not stepping backwards or flinching from my ruby eyes. But I guess they were getting darker as hers were, mine turning burgundy, hers oak.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly, changing the question she asked earlier.

"Nothing, Kate," I said just as quietly. "Well, maybe a nice conversation every now and then."

She hesitated. "That's not nothing."

"But it's not a lot, either."

She stepped back. "Is that all?"

I looked up at the ceiling and brushed the nonexistent beard on my chin; a look of thought.

"And maybe for you to admit that you started it."

A look of surprise and disbelief crossed her face. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Well"—she stepped closer, getting in my face as I got in hers—"I am_ not_ going to admit _anything_." And she turned and walked away.

I watched her go back to the circle of vampires she was previously in, smiling like an idiot. I felt eyes on me, so I looked over to the staircase and saw Tanya giving me the death glare. I quickly wiped of my smile and walked outside.

I replayed the conversation—or more like argument—with Kate in my head, and I saw I had no regrets about it; no changes I would have made, nothing to be fixed.

I didn't care if all our conversations turned into arguments. I would talk to no one else if I could argue with her.

* * *

**Yes, very short chapter. But it's okay! At least it went somewhere . . .**

**And there was a nice sappy little line at the very end! How cute.**

**_::I've got the gift of one-liners::  
::And you've got the curse of curves::_**

**It might not fit as well as I thought, but it works enough.**

**_::And with the combination of my gft with one-liners::  
::And my way, my way with words::_**

**And now it's your job to review! Tell me what you think! The story is slowly growing towards the fluff (-_-") but I think I might be able to handle it!**

**** **_::You're making something out of nothing::  
::And jelousy's the cousin, the cousin of greed::_**

**=]**


	20. Lies

***NEW CHAPTER!***

**I don't know about you, but I'm excited. I like updating! =] But it's just the actual act of _starting_ the chapter that's difficult for me. Writing is fun, but I never know how to start.**

**Anywho.**

**This chapter seems kinda short, but it's mainly Kate thinking about the people around her (mainly Garrett and Maggie) and making observations and whatnot. It's kinda a filler-type chapter, so it's not exactly the most exciting thing I've ever written, but it's a chapter, and it's Kate, so it's decent.**

**Kate's mind is very odd, so just bare with me for now. The things she's said in the past will make sence in the future, but this is just an insight to her brain right now. Enjoy!**

* * *

You know how in books and movies the main female character always walks away from the male love interest "dazed and confused"? Well, they were slighlty off. I wasn't dazed—my vision was a little hazy and my mind was spinning, but I most certainly was not _dazed_; and it wasn't confusion that rendered me speechless when I joined the others in the conversation, it was anger. Anger at myself for talking to him and at Garrett for making it difficult to not fall into his trap Maggie had already sprung.

But luckily, my stubbornness let the conversation stop short.

* * *

I didn't listen much to the conversation—it was mainly Eleazar repeating to the Irish what he and Edward talked about. Liam added some of his own observations to the subject, but I couldn't tell you now what they were.

Every thought it my head seemed scrambled, like a word puzzle that needed to be solved—it annoyed me that I had to struggle to put my own mind in order.

Maggie's bubbly self walked over to Garrett, who had now moved to a corner beside the staircase. I realized by his expression that he had motioned her over there.

I deserved to be slapped in the face.

Tanya, who was now at the top of the stairs on the second level, looked at me in an "I told you so" way that made me grind my teeth. But she was right. Garrett got bored, so he moved on. I had a feeling he was going to go back and forth between Maggie and I the entire time we were here. But I'm not about to let that happen. The tiny redhead over there can flirt and laugh all she wants, but I'll end the pattern. Garrett can find someone else to play his game with.

I tried not to look at them while they talked, but I couldn't help the sidelong glances while I pretended to listen intently to Eleazar and Liam's conversation. Their expressions weren't flirtatious, but more purposeful. Like they were planning something in their hushed tones in the corner.

I imagined him telling her his plans for his life after the Volturi are done. I bet right now he's telling her how he doesn't intend to stay here, that it was just a side trip for the main idea he had. He would tell her that it wasn't complete yet, that there were still a few components to fill in before it could go into action. Then he would ask her to join him, and she would nod vigorously, her red hair bobbing. He would tell her he never trusted someone so completely, that he wanted to spend the rest of forever with her . . .

Maybe Carmen was right all those years ago when she told me I have an overactive imagination.

* * *

I sat on the couch in front of the large TV, flipping through the channels aimlessly—there was nothing I wanted to watch, anyway.

I watched the other vampires here, trying to get a glimpse of how their lives would be when they weren't crammed into an awkward situation such as this one. It was hard to tell, but it gave my mind something to do while my fingers clicked the TV remote.

I went in order of covens, trying to imagine each group in their home country. Some were more difficult, so I skipped them. When I got to the Irish clan, more questions arose and I didn't want to just glance over those. Siobhan and Liam were the most parent-like vampires I have ever seen that drank human blood. Carlisle said that drinking animal blood and living amongst humans made it easier for us to act more civilized, but this coven showed different. Siobhan and Liam treated Maggie like a daughter, scolding her when she spoke out of turn, laughing with her when something funny was said. It was the oddest thing . . .

Eleazar admired Siobhan's gift of . . . foretelling, would be the best way to put it. She could take any situation and think of an outcome she wants, and it would happen, just like that.

"A talent like that is very rare—I myself have never heard of it," Eleazar said.

"Talent? Oh, I hardly call it that." She chuckled. "It's more of luck, I say. My gramma always told me stories that our family held a special kind of luck, but I don't remember how the story went. It was when I was a child, you see . . ."

Eleazar nodded. "Of course, of course." But I was sure he was hiding the fact that he knew she had a gift, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

Maggie's talent was the one I was most concerned with, though. She knew every time someone lied, and it seemed infallible. But no one would know when someone lied without her saying so. There were so many occasions when she could hold her tongue, just let things unroll themselves. Then I wondered, could someone who detects lies say lies herself?

Also, if her and Garrett were talking about what I thought they were talking about, would she admit it if he was lying?

* * *

**Hmm . . . would she? Kate has seen this "blind love" stuff before, when you fall so completely for a single person that you don't want to see their flaws, so she's automatically thinking that Maggie is like that. But Maggie and Irina are different people, and Irina fell for _Laurent_, while Maggie is "falling" for Garrett. Big difference right there.**

**I'm not sure I'll be able to update this week--rodeo week and all. I'll be out every night and sleeping all day, and taking showers in between because you can only stand the smell of horse manure for so long. But, to those readers in America, have a nice Memorial Day! And week . .**

**I'm serious about entering the Apple Blossom contest! It's over Sunday, May 31st, so get to writing! Go to FeelBetterBoy'sGF-JasperLuv-'s profile for details.**

**=]**


	21. Paranoia

**I know, I know, I know. It's been a while. The internet at my house has been on the fritz and the only axcess I've had is at my grandma's twice a week, but I can't update there because my stories aren't saved on her computer. So I've been trying the last two months (before my computer fried) to get internet on my dad's laptop. And I finally did. :]**

**Lo and behold, my excuse.**

**Now, back to buisness.**

**This chapter is painfully short, and I apologize. My chapters have been getting shorter and shorter lately because a.) now that Kate and Garrett have met, the passage of time is a lot quicker and the story has to come from both points of view, and I'm sticking to the odd chapters: Garrett, even chapters: Kate. And b.) I've just been trying to pass time durring this boring summer, so my dedication is less than my will to not be bored.**

**Anywho. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Garrett!**

* * *

Day six: Carlisle came home.

When I heard the tires of his car move from pavement to gravel, my vision became icily clear, just like it did right before a hunt. I became completely still, one hundred percent aware of every single sight and sound around me. But I didn't need them—I was only concerned with the car racing up the drive.

Never taking the road myself, I guess I was kind of surprised to hear all the turns Carlisle had to make while driving. Once I heard the first crunch of gravel, I calculated his arrival to be less than a second. But that was based on the assumption that it was a strait drive. In the end, it took about ten seconds. I should stop assuming.

When I heard two car doors open and shut, I stayed where I was on the couch, willing myself to blend in, if not disappear altogether. It was easier to do in a houseful of vampires than it is on a street surrounded by humans.

But not absolutely successful. Carlisle scanned the room after the female with him walked through the door. He met the eyes of every immortal around him, but when his eyes locked on mine, he looked surprised, like he didn't expect me to come.

I didn't let my face falter—I kept his gaze until he walked into the dining room, where his family was waiting, Denali coven included.

Can you say, "awkward"?

"I hear you're a war veteran," a voice behind me mused.

I turned to see dark-haired Peter standing casually behind me. It was weird to see him without his mate—they seemed to go everywhere together, not quite fitting into the house of vampires. It was oddly like a high school, the two of them being the freaks.

"You heard correctly," I answered.

"Before or after?"

I knew what he meant. "Before. It was when I was changed."

"Ah," he said, understanding. "So were you involved in the Mexican war?"

He was referring to the vampire war over human population that happened almost two hundred years ago. "Not exactly. I was more of an outside ally." Not a complete lie—I did keep up-to-date with the latest war news, but I wasn't involved.

"Ah."

And the topic dropped.

"Which war were you in, then?" he asked, trying to get the conversation started again.

"Revolutionary," I answered simply, avoiding too many questions.

He nodded.

"What about you?" I asked more out of courtesy rather than actual curiosity.

"I never really got a chance. I enlisted for the Civil War—Confederacy—but never got a chance to even get a uniform."

This story sounded familiar.

"I was more or less forced into the Mexican War by three females. It was either that or they kill my Ma—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted almost rudely. It didn't matter, anyway. "It sounds really devastating." I tried to be sympathetic. Tried, but it didn't work.

"I know I must be bothering you," Peter apologized sheepishly, "but I really don't get any male conversation here, see."

I nodded. It was a quick, jerky movement, but still fell under the "nodding" category.

"I have to go," I said with a blank look on my face. I turned and walked out the back door.

It was too freaky of a coincidence that Peter's story would be almost identical to Ashley's. But was it all meant to be this way, or am I just being overly paranoid?

* * *

**This chapter turned out a little odd, but I added it because I would feel guilty for not mentioning Ashley once more. He will come up again in future chapters, but I wanted to make sure we all didn't forget about him before that.**

**I already have the next chapter written, but I don't want to publish it so quickly. You just read this one, so where's the anticipation if I just hand you the next? Haha.**

**I have a month and five days before school starts back up for me, so I'll try to get as many chapters in here before football games take up my life. :]**

**Keep on keeping on!**

**=]**


	22. Intentions

**

* * *

**

I'm actually adding this sooner than what I initally planned, but the next chapter is coming along a lot faster than what I thought, so I need to get this chapter up so there's a little bit of a gap. Like I said, where's the fun if you don't have to wait?

**I know that the last chapter was pretty boring and all-in-all crappy, but it was merely a filler for this chapter and chapters to come. Ashley is added as a look into Garrett's past (though more of that is coming soon) and though he is pretty yawnish to read about and his story wasn't a great one, Garrett takes his words more seriously than he imagined. He truly thinks that Ashley planned all this. **

**But I'm getting ahead of myself. Oops.**

**Anywho, adding Ashley as a filler is something that I needed to do so future Garrett chapters make more sense. It's easier to bring stuff up now and then fill you in on them later. It keeps you and me on our toes.**

**Well, here's a hopefully more interesting Kate chapter.**

* * *

"Carlisle," Tanya said in relief as he and Esme walked into the dining room. We knew he was coming without a doubt, but the tension in the room was noticeably lessened once he was in our sight.

Carlisle gave us all a courtesy not in greeting, then went strait over to his son.

"Is everything running smoothly?" Carlisle asked. His question was casual enough, but not when matched with his expression; you could see that he was stressed.

"Perfectly," Edward answered.

I looked over at Tanya, who seemed to be looking at everything in the room besides Edward. I felt sorry for her, to be put into such an awkward situation, but I wasn't going to show her sympathy for it just yet.

"No, we haven't heard anything," Edward said, answering Carlisle's unspoken question.

I looked questioningly at Eleazar, who looked questioningly at Carlisle, who nodded once stiffly and turned to Esme. "No word from them."

Esme's loving eyes seemed to glaze over and she stared off into nothing. She lifted her hand to her face, as if trying to dry the tears that would never fall.

Carlilse looked around at the rest of us, noticing we were out of the loop. "Has Edward not told you anything?" he asked Eleazar.

"Not if it doesn't involve the Volturi," he answered.

Carlisle looked to Esme, then to Bella, who was holding a sleeping Renesmee in her arms. Bella, too, looked near tears.

"Come." He motioned for Eleazar and Tanya to come with him out into the living room. Carmen and I followed.

We followed behind Carlisle to the living room and out the front door into the yard. Once he looked at each of us in turn, he ran off into the woods. Once again, we followed.

"I want you to know that we are so thankful of you to come," Carlisle said once we stopped a couple yards away from a small cottage. "I'm not sure how we would do this without our family."

"Of course we would come," Tanya said, almost insulted. "We would not leave you when our assistance is needed."

I never cease to find it amusing how formally Tanya talks to people outside of our household.

"But we asked for your assistance without letting you know how greatly the odds are against us," Carlisle pressed. "I didn't want to say this in front of Esme and Bella, even though they already know the story. Making them relive it would be cruel on my part." Carlisle hesitated.

"You can tell us, Carlisle," Eleazar encouraged.

"Many of the other witnesses didn't even know of our numbers before they agreed to help us, so it doesn't affect them; I hate to lie to them, but what they don't know can't hurt them." He sighed. "But you and one other couple know of our numbers, or rather, the two that are missing."

"Edward never really gave us a strait answer," I said, trying not to let my words sound harsh. It apparently worked because Tanya didn't give me a warning glance.

"He was afraid that if you knew the panic of the moment, you would be afraid to help," Carlisle replied.

"Does he really think so little of us?" Tanya said in an almost flirty tone, trying to lighten the mood. I wanted to bite her head off.

Carmen looked over at Tanya, then looked to her feet. She knew just as I did that the Cullens had right to think of us that way—we did abandon them in their time of need, because of Laurent.

Because of me.

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Carmen asked, getting back to the topic and trying to fill the awkward silence.

I realized that was the first time their names were mentioned to Carlisle, and he visibly flinched at them. If he was this way over them, I could only imagine how Esme and Bella must be.

"We're not sure," Carlisle said, sounding brave. "Alice was our only way of knowing when they were coming. She left us with a clue as to when, but it wasn't much. We knew it was all she could do at the time."

"So . . . She just up and left?" Tanya asked accusingly.

In that second, Edward was beside Carlisle, obviously either listening to our conversation or hearing our thoughts of it.

"With reason. She would never just 'up and leave'."

"I wasn't trying to insult your sister, Edward. If you remember, she's also my family," Tanya said defensively. "But what would be a reason to simply take your mate and leave when your family needed you most?"

Edward kept a mostly calm composure, but he obviously was holding back a sea of words he wanted to throw at Tanya. "She wanted to save them both."

"So is the odds of this battle really so outrageous that even _Alice_ would abandon all of you—all of us?" Tanya asked Carlisle.

"Alice would not leave us without help," Edward said, stepping towards Tanya and towering over her. "She and Jasper sent two very trustworthy witnesses for us. I'm not sure what they are doing right now"—his expression became icily hard and his eyes fierce— "but I am sure they are not aiding the Volturi."

"I have never—_STAY OUT OF MY HEAD_!" Tanya bellowed.

"Keep Alice and her intentions out of it."

Edward turned and ran back towards the house, Carlisle close behind. Eleazar took Carmen's hand and ran after them, Carmen looking back at Tanya.

I stayed where I was a few seconds longer, keeping my eyes on the ground. When I looked up at Tanya, she seemed near tears. Angry, frustrated, nonexistant tears. She caught my gaze and—for the first time—looked completely and totally vulnerable.

I didn't know what to do—I ran for the house like the rest of my family, leaving Tanya alone in the woods.

* * *

**Sucky sister, much, Kate? Yeah, I think so. But, Tanya hasn't really done much for Kate, either. Oh, well. Family will have to just be a part of this.**

**Honestly, after I put Chapter 23 up here, I don't have much of an idea of where to go. Wait--scratch that. I know where it's going, just not how to lead up to it. Mainly, I need filler ideas. I'm working on it and the next chapter is certainly not a filler, but I really need reader help. There's so much about this story going on in my head that I can't even keep it strait. I actually wrote and almost posted a chapter that wasn't supposed to happen for a while because I was thinking too far ahead.**

**So you see my delima . . .**

**If you have any helpful words, they would be greatly appreciated.**

**Oh, and reviews would be, too!**

**=]**


	23. Confessions

**Guess who's on ghetto internet? I am!**

**It's like dial-up, but not quite. Either way, it's slower than ever. Hopefully it's only temporary.**

**So, it's only been one day since the author's note, but forever since the last chapter. Yeah, sorry bout that. But now that marching season is coming to a close, I'll--maybe--have more time to write. But when do I ever have time, right? Well, I don't, but I'll make time for this story! Or I'll die trying!**

**So, after much wait, I present to you--GARRETT!**

* * *

"What's bothering you?" Maggie asked as she sat beside me on the couch, the same place I've been sitting for two days. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm not sure at the moment," I answered.

_And I'm not sure if I want to find out._

Just then, Edward ran back through the front door, Carlisle close on his heels. Eleazar and Carmen came not much later, completely ignored by Edward; they walked towards Carlisle and gave him sincere looks of apology.

When Kate came in and joined her family, Edward gave them all harsh glares and went into the dining room with his mate and daughter.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Maggie, as she was obviously watching them also. "Why does he seem so angry with them?"

"All the Cullens have right to," she answered with a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it _is_ their fault they're in this mess in the first place," she said, picking at something under her nails. "Did you not know that?"

"No, I did not," I said in a low voice, slightly embarrassed that I would know so little about the situation I was involved in, and—though it would be awkward to admit it—so little about Kate and her family.

Maggie looked at me, her freshly red eyes wide with amazement. "You really didn't know," she said quietly. She looked guiltily down at her hands. "Maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you."

"Well, okay, but—"

"Okay, okay I'll tell you," she cut in, obviously excited to share in the gossip. "But you didn't hear it from me, okay?"

I nodded.

"What I've heard is that one of the other sisters, Irina, had a grudge with the Cullens for some reason. I'm not sure what. But anyway," she continued, with a wave of her hand, "she saw the baby when she was little and thought it was an immortal child. Without asking questions, she went strait to Italy and told the Volturi and told them what she saw. Now we're all in this mess."

"Did her family have any idea what was going on?"

"I don't know that part. But they should have known something before hand, right? I mean, she was their _sister_."

I grew exceptionally quiet as I contemplated all of this. Seeing my antisocial mood, Maggie excused herself and skipped off to someone else, sharing her girly bubbliness.

Kate knew the whole time? She knew why we were here? I shouldn't feel betrayed, I'm the last person she would tell, after all. Maybe I didn't feel betrayed as an individual, maybe it was because her and her family kept a secret from all of us. But, then again, everyone in the room probably knows by now—Maggie isn't the only gossip here—but learning by rumor and not from the horse's mouth, so to speak, is enough to make anyone feel deserted.

I mentally slapped myself—staying around immortals who act so human is starting to take a toll on me.

**line here**

"Hello, Katrina," I greeted, using her full name, knowing it would get her attention easier. She was standing outside with Tanya, talking about nothing of consequence. Or, so I assumed by their casual posture. My assumptions are usually accurate.

"Good afternoon, Garrett." She returned the greeting with a pleasant tone, but her facial expression didn't match. It showed curiosity and annoyance. Quite a combination.

"What a mess, huh?" I asked, gazing out at the yellowing yard beside us. "The Volturi seem to know exactly how to irk a family."

"I suppose so," Kate said slowly and quietly, a mix that makes a guarded tone. She wanted to know what I was getting at.

"But I think the question of the moment is—why? No, wait, I know why. It has to do with the numbers of their coven, right?" No response from Kate. "Yeah, thought so. I don't understand how they can stand that. I don't see myself with more than just two people. Three's such a crowd." I not-so-subtly nodded my head towards Tanya.

Kate, getting my hint, gave me an annoyed look and motioned with her eyes for Tanya to go back inside. Tanya sighed, but obliged.

"You could've just asked her to leave," Kate said.

"Who said I wanted her to leave?"

"You just—never mind." Kate shook her head. She turned on her heel and began walking towards the forest at the edge of the yard.

"Well, since the question of 'why' has been answered, and 'when' is unanswerable at the moment," I said, following her, "then,_ how_?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, not turning to me, not stopping. Almost as if she wanted to ignore me, but can't seem to.

I couldn't wrap my mind around that one, so I let it go.

"I mean,"—I stepped in front of her, making her stop in her tracks—"how did the Volturi know about this? And why would they have reason to believe the Cullens were breaking the law?"

Kate looked at me, and I could tell she finally knew exactly what I was getting at.

But she kept silent.

"You don't want to tell me?" I said, slowly bringing my face closer to hers. I could feel her breath as she exhaled, and felt when she held it.

"You seem to already know who," she said hoarsely, trying to hold on to the air in her throat. "Why don't you just come out and ask me?"

"But I _don't_ know. That's why I'm asking."

"Why must you always talk in circles?"

"Because it works."

She let out the remainder of her breath with a _huff_ in my face, blowing a few of my stray hairs backwards. She turned sharply and threw her hands up in the air.

"My sister was the one to cause all of this, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" she yelled, tears in her voice but not on her face. "And do you also want to know why she did it? Because of me! Because I wasn't there for her, she ran away! Because I didn't kill that Laurent when I had the chance, she fell in love with him and he broke her! Because I am such an awful, selfish person, I didn't go get her when I should have. I thought she would be strong enough to come back to us, but I was wrong. She was weaker than ever because I didn't help her to become strong again." Kate stopped two yards away from me, her chest rising and falling from the air that the adrenaline took from her.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" she asked, quieter.

I stood there for a moment, not sure as what to say.

"Kate," I said, reaching for her hand.

"Don't," she said, pulling her hand away. But in the brief moment our hands touched, there was a sharp sting in my palm, causing me to pull my hand back also. It hurt, but I knew it could be stronger.

She ran into the woods. I didn't follow her.

* * *

**Now maybe we'll actually get to go somewhere with Kate and Garrett. About time.**

**I am so happy to be writing again! Good thing I started my fall break early, huh? Haha. But it's okay. It's not like we do anything the last day before break, right? We're lucky to have a teacher that day. But it gave me an excuse to publish!**

**I promise promise promise I will try to update again soon. I've been trying to catch up on the other stories I've been missing out on (like _Immortal Mistake_. I'm still not caught up on that one.) and adding the final touches to the first few chapters of my new story so it can get up here as soon as possible. Then there's this local short story contest I've been working on . . .**

**There needs to be more hours in the day.**

**Anyway, I'm loving you guys' reviews! Makin me smile! Just tell me if you're liking the direction this story is going. I'm hoping it's been going in the same direction as it was in the last chapters, but those were a while ago. It could be different now.**

**I just hope a good kind of different.**

**Well, I won't bore you anymore and let you get to reviewing!**

**=]**

**P.S.: I fixed Chaper 8 for anyone who wants to go read it and be less confused!**


	24. Apology

**Okay, so this chapter is kinda short, but I was tired of the cryptic Kate/Garrett relationship we had going on here, so I had to add a little something. It's pretty much pointless to the overall storyline, but it's there nonetheless. **

**And here's Kate!**

* * *

I ran until the protective shield of electricity covering my body reduced to only a controllable tingling at my fingertips, until I was sure I was close to Canada, if not already there. I looked upward at the sun—I was heading directly north. Without question, I knew my subconscious wanted me back in Denali. But nothing waited for me there.

And I let that obviously show to Garrett, the one person who I do not want—or need—to hear the problems with my life.

I thought of his face when he realized he had gone too far with his questioning—surprised, hurt, apologetic. I couldn't help but feel guilty for making him feel that way, but also anger at him for making me say the words that would make him feel that way. No matter how I thought of it, it was a tie for the blame. Or, at least that was how I thought of it in my mind.

I was tempted to perform the trick I used—how long was it ago?—to wake myself up when Irina left. The shock to my heart that would give me a sense of revival.

Eyes stinging from lack of tears, I lifted my hand just inches over my heart, bracing myself for what I was about to do.

_Wait,_ I stopped myself. _How does this happen I thought my pain was just a figment of the imagination. _I remembered the way Bella seemed to be immune to my instinctive shock when she reached out to touch me. She has a mind shield, right? Well, if that's what it takes to block my gift . . .

I then remembered the feeling of blood coursing through my veins when I pushed the shock through my own body so long ago. There was no blood there, never will be. Was that also a figment of my imagination?

It seems like everything I once knew has changed completely.

* * *

"Kate?" Eleazar asked as I became visible through the densely wooded forest.

"Yes?" I asked in return, running a bit faster to his position on the front porch.

"Where have you been?" he asked casually. He knew where I was and what I was doing, I had no doubt. But I was glad he was letting me pretend he didn't.

"Just out for some fresh air."

"Ah," he said understandingly, nodding slowly. "Well, we—Carmen and I—were looking for you."

"I'm sorry."

"Not a problem." He smiled. I returned with one. I think.

He opened the door for me and let me walk back inside.

"By the way," he said as I passed him on the threshold. "Someone else was looking for you." He smiled. I looked at him questioningly. But of course no one could get information out of Eleazar when he didn't want you to.

He walked away before I could ask him who. But it wasn't necessary to ask, anyway. Because now I saw who _who_ is.

Garrett, hands shoved in his pockets, was walking towards me.

I looked down at my feet, embarrassed at our last encounter. It was so disgustingly _human._

"Hi," we both said awkwardly at the same time. He smiled, I looked back down at my feet.

Did I mention, _human_?

"Listen," he started, thankfully breaking the silence. "I shouldn't have said those things—"

"Neither should I."

"Right," he said lamely. "So . . . I'm sorry." It sounded almost like a question.

"It must be difficult for you to apologize," I teased. "Being so vulnerable and—_gasp_—sincere."

He laughed. "But obviously not as difficult as it is for you," he pointed out, "when you haven't even tried to apologize."

If I could blush, I would have turned red.

"I'm sorry," I said, attempting to sound more impressively honest than he.

"Apology accepted. But for what, might I ask?"

"Because you told me to," I joked. "And for dumping my . . . _problematic_ . . . life on you like that," I continued quietly.

"I think you mean _suckish_." I shrugged. "But . . . Yeah, it is pretty suckish. I mean—_problematic."_

"But hey, what can you do?" he finished, taking in my expression.

He turned to walk away. I turned the other way. I wish I didn't, but I did.


	25. Gifted

****

Well, it's been a while, huh? Guess who finally fixed the internet! If you guessed "that psycho author who hasn't updated in FOREVER", then you are correct!

I have been getting delightful reviews in my absense (how does she get reviews, you ask? Well, technology! And mobile email!) and thank you kindly for all of them! There's one in particular that I wanted so much to reply to, but there was no reply URL! Ahh! This person (forgive me for forgetting the name you put on the review) gave me lovely ideas for one-shots and just left a beautiful review! So, if you're reading this, here's the chapter you requested!

Speaking of the chapter--which is why you're here, right?--it has to do with Kate and Edward training Bella, like in _Breaking Dawn_. So, it's another chapter that you've already seen. But hopefully having it in Garrett's perspective makes it more interesting? Perhaps. I'll let you be the judge of that!

And, after much wait (for you and for me) GARRETT!!

* * *

The next hours were spent in the woods for me, exploring, trying to avoid the human scent. My eyes were sure to be a dark burgundy by now, but the burning in my throat wasn't as tempting as it once was—not in a good way, at least. It used to give me a thrill, a rush for the hunt, but now it just reminds me of how much like the rest of the world I truly am. And how different I am from Kate.

But maybe different could be good . . .

No. It's like an atheist marrying a catholic. It just doesn't work.

* * *

"Kate," I heard from my spot in the living room. Hearing her name out loud made my vision icily clear, made my breath catch. It made me remember that I'm not the only one that thinks about her.

But I'm the only one that thinks about her like that. And I need to stop that. Excessive obsession can be unhealthy.

"Please don't hurt him," Bella continued in a more threatening tone than pleading. They were in the back yard.

"Then where will you get your motivation, Bella?" Kate asked as I came closer, following their voices.

"Kate," Edward said warningly. I saw Kate shrug through the window.

I stayed in the doorway to the back porch, watching. Bella had her arms wrapped around Edward's waist, but it wasn't in an intimate manner—she was more clinging to him for safety, his or hers, I wasn't sure; Carmen and Eleazar were behind Kate, Tanya closer to Edward and Bella. Kate reached her hand out to Edward's shoulder carefully, watching Bella's closed, concentrating eyes.

Edward shook with the shock. Kate quickly pulled her hand away.

Bella groaned in frustration.

"It's only your first try, love," Edward reminded her. "No one expected you to get it right your first try."

Bella just nodded tersely. "Go, Kate."

Kate reached her hand out again, quicker this time. But she pulled back slower than the first time.

Edward still shook with the shock, the air knocked out of him. Not that he needed it, but you could tell it was uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you want to do this Bella?" Tanya asked. "You don't have to protect us this way."

"My shield is all I have," Bella said stubbornly. "And I'm going to use it."

She nodded to Kate to go again.

"Wait," Edward interrupted when Kate reached her hand out. Bella's eyes flew open, shocked.

"Maybe you should do the 'low' setting for now," Edward said in a hushed tone. Bella looked insulted, but said nothing.

Kate nodded and reached out again. Edward only jumped once from the shock, but he still felt it, obviously not the goal.

For hours, the same routine repeated itself—Kate shocking Edward, Edward shaking in Bella's arms, Bella growing more and more frustrated—except for select differences. One: Kate seemed to be taking more pride in what she was doing. Most people would say that she was enjoying causing emotional and physical pain to both of them, but I could tell by how she flexed her fingers that she was just feeling the power that came with her gift. It was obviously a burden to live with, one she tries to hide it more out of courtesy than of shame. This chance to show it was freeing.

Two: More and more vampires joined the on looking group as the lesson wore on.

"That Kate is quite talented, isn't she?" Tia said to Benjamin a few yards from where I stood on the porch.

"I hear she can take down any vampire, any time," Benjamin agreed.

I stepped closer to join the conversation.

"So she uses this gift often?" I asked.

"Not exactly," Benjamin answered. "Her coven is more peaceful than others, so it isn't usually necessary."

"But you hear about a rare talent like that one," Tia finished.

"I never have," I said quietly, wondering how I couldn't have.

"But momma, I _want_ to help," Nessie said, bringing our attention back to the show. The child put her hand to her mother's neck, showing her some image.

"No." She backed away with Nessie in her arms as Kate stepped towards them, hand outstretched. "Stay away from us, Kate."

"No," Kate refused, a cruel smile on her face as she obliged to Nessie's wishes to help.

Bella shifted Nessie until she clung to her back. A snarl ripped through her lips as Kate stepped even closer.

"Be careful, Kate," Edward warned.

Kate stepped towards them again, but turned to Edward, leaving her back open to a murderous newborn. She must have a lot of faith in Bella's restraint to leave such an easy attack point open.

"Can you hear anything from Nessie?" Kate asked.

He darted to the gap between them, protecting them from each other.

"No, nothing at all," he answered, not sounding as surprised as he should. "Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goad her like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old."

"We don't have time to do this gently, Edward," Kate argued. "We're going to have to push her. We only have a few weeks, and she's got the potential to—"

"Back off for a minute, Kate," Edward commanded more sternly.

Bella put her hand on Edwards back, eyes closed with effort. She was pushing her shield out towards him.

"Again," she commanded Kate. "Edward only."

Kate rolled her eyes but made way over to Edward. She pressed her palm into his shoulder.

"Nothing," Edward said, opening his eyes and smiling.

"And now?" Kate asked, pushing slightly harder.

"Still nothing."

"And now?" Her brow furrowed with effort, and her voice became strained.

"Nothing at all."

I stepped closer casually to Kate, fascinated with Bella's shield and Kate's defensive power.

Kate grunted and stepped away.

"Can you see this?" Zafrina asked Edward in a strange accent.

"I don't see anything I shouldn't," Edward answered.

"And you, Renesmee?"

The child smiled and shook her head.

Bella's breath sounded more labored as she held the shield longer, but no one seemed to notice it weakening if it did.

"No one panic," Zafrina warned us. "I want to see how far it can extent."

I gasped as my vision was taken by . . . nothing. That was all I could see—_nothing_. As if my senses were completely taken from me. I don't know if my eyes were opened or closed, if I was standing up or lying down, if I was dead or alive.

"Raise your hand when you get your sight back," Zafrina instructed, her voice coming not from a specified direction in the darkness, but from all around, like her voice was connected to invisible surround-sound speakers invisible to me

I stood still in the nothingness until I could suddenly see familiar people around me—Kate with her arm raised, Edward with a look of wonder on his face, and Bella with a strained, stressed expression.

"Very good," Zafrina said with a smile. "Now—"

Zafrina stopped when she heard a sharp gasp from Bella, who had opened her eyes and was breathing heavily. My vision went back to a vampire's worst fear: vulnerability.

"Can you give me a minute?" Bella asked, panting.

"Of course," Zafrina answered. I relaxed as reality returned.

"Kate," I called as she began wandering towards her family. She didn't seem as disturbed by the moment of blindness as the others, who were murmuring worriedly. They were wondering what would happen if we happened to lose her gift to the Volturi.

"I wouldn't, Garrett," Edward warned, as if he knew my intentions.

_But I would_.

I pursed my lips in speculation as Kate turned to me, hip cocked.

"They say you can put a vampire flat on his back."

"Yes," she agreed. She fluttered her fingers tauntingly. "Curious?" she asked with a smug smile.

I shrugged one shoulder. "That's something I've never seen. Seems like it might be a bit of an exaggeration . . ."

"Maybe," she said, suddenly serious. "Maybe it only works on the weak or the young. I'm not sure. You look strong, though. Perhaps you could withstand my gift." She lifted her hand to me, palm up.

_A challenge._

Confidently, I touched her palm with my first finger.

The shock coursed through my whole body in one motion, causing me to fall over backwards and hit my head on some hard rock. I heard it crack loudly, and I suddenly wondered if it took a piece of me with it.

"I told you so," I heard Edward mutter.

I sat up slowly, putting my hand to the back of my head, ensuring that nothing was missing: I felt the leather tie that kept my hair back at the nape of my neck—nothing gone.

"Wow," I said wonderingly.

"Did you enjoy that?" Kate asked me skeptically, the smug smile still intact.

"I'm not crazy," I laughed, shaking my head as I got slowly to my knees. "But that sure was something."

"That's what I hear," she said, shrugging.

That was it—I was officially obsessed. And I had no intention of letting go of the infatuation, or trying to fight it. I would let it eat me whole, as long as it meant staying with Kate. I don't care if I have to go through this torture to keep her with me. Anything was worth it.

I saw Edward roll his eyes and I wondered if my thoughts were apparent in my face, in the way I looked at Kate, and how I imagined she looked back. I quickly tore my eyes away and went over to the front yard, where the others began to converge to greet some uninvited, unwanted visitors.

* * *

****

Awh.

I like keeping Garrett in the dark with the whole Edward's-a-mindreader?! thing. Fun.

A few things:

One, I learned how to do this.

　

* * *

****

I have no idea what it's for, but it was nice to know that I can do it.

Two, I don't know when I might be able to update again. I don't know how long this whole internet thing is going to hold out, and I don't know how often I'll get to be on it. (My sister has recently learned the joys of Facebook, so she's on it 24/7. Also, I'm attempting to reread the entire Harry Potter series :]) But I promise I will not stop writing! I'm too into the story to quit now!

So, until next time,

=]


	26. Fight or Flight

**So . . . Been a while, huh? Yeah. I kinda suck at frequent updates. The curse of living in the middle of nowhere. Literally--the GPS on my phone can't find the location. I might as well be on Mars.**

**The internet is temporarily working, so I'll take the time to post a chapter that I wrote several months ago. Like November or something. But it's up! **

**And since it was written more or less five months ago, I haven't proofread it in, well, forever. Nor will I do it now. Laziness. Just bear with it; it shouldn't be too bad. Special thanks to Microsoft SpellCheck. :]**

**So . . . Is this a Kate chapter? Yes? Yes it is. Okay. And it's just Kate's view of what happened in _Breaking Dawn_, but with insight to the battle with herself on which side she'd choose in the end--logic or sisterly love?**

**DUH DUH DUUUH!**

* * *

It was the Romanians coming the day we were training with Bella that caused the fuss. It was their story that made everyone leery on whether they should stay or go. Which I don't blame them. I had never met the Romanian vampires before, but Sasha had told my sisters and me about their story long ago, about how they had tried to make an empire stronger than any in history, stronger than the Volturi. We were never told how they were defeated, just that they were. I decided I didn't want to know when Renesmee asked why their skin was how it was

"We sat still for a very long time, child, contemplating our own divinity."

I didn't know about the rest of my family, but I wasn't sure they would stand with us if it turned out that the Volturi would win; it seemed more likely that they turn against us. More enemies are not what we need.

* * *

Christmas came, finally. But it wasn't the normal affair we had back in Denali—there was no Irina bouncing off the walls at the excitement, making sure all the decorations were perfect for the festivities, although we never had guests; there was no Carmen singing carols in her slight Hispanic accent; there was no Eleazar laughing at the irony of immortal creatures of the dark celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The only people that were the same were Tanya and I, who never joined in the fun. We always knew how Sasha celebrated Christmas, and that it was wrong to do it without her. But Irina never stopped trying to cheer us up. Who would've thought that the person who was the source of our joy for so many centuries would also be the source of our despair?

But this Christmas, besides the obvious differences with my family's past Christmases, was much more dramatic and different than any other I've ever even heard of.

"Alistir left. We don't know when," Eleazar told us when we came into the kitchen. Bella and Edward were coming up the stairs outside and through the door just as the argument between Carlisle and Amun became more heated.

"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay," Carlisle reminded him.

"You're stealing from my coven, Carlisle!" Amun shrieked, stabbing a finger at Benjamin like he was property. "Is that why you called me here? To _steal_ from me?"

"Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death," Benjamin said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Be reasonable, Amun. I'm committed to do the right thing here—I'm not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle pointed out."

"This won't end well," Amun growled. "Alistair was the only sane one here." He was now talking to all of us, pointing his finger to the crowd. "We should all be running."

_Is he the only one who thinks that?_

"Think of who you're calling sane," Tia murmured. Benjamin almost smiled.

"We're all going to be slaughtered!"

_Suicide mission._

"It's not going to come to a fight," Carlisle said firmly.

"You say!"

_He says . . ._

"If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun. I'm sure the Volturi will appreciate your help."

"Perhaps it _is _the answer."

_Is it?_

"I wouldn't hold it against you, Amun." Carlisle's voice was softer, more understanding. "We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me."

"But you're taking my Benjamin down with you." Although his voice was more controlled, Amun's face was still contorted with rage.

Carlisle put his hand on Amun's shoulder; Amun shook it off.

"I'll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment. I _will_ join them if it's the road to survival. You're all fools to think that you can defy the Volturi." He looked around the room. "I will witness that the child has grown. That's nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that," he added exasperatedly.

"That's all we've ever asked."

"But not all you're getting it seems," he countered with a grimace. He turned to Benjamin. "I gave you life. You're wasting it."

"It's a pity you couldn't replace my will with your own in the process; perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me," Benjamin replied coldly.

Amun and Kebi left out the front door.

If I wasn't for my family dragging me here, would I choose Carlisle's side, or Amun's? The Cullen's or the Volturi? Death or survival?

Renesmee or Irina?


	27. Blood and Morals

**Super-dooper quick update! Woo-hoo! Proud of me? Yeah, I am, too.**

**Actually, don't be. I didn't write this chapter last night. It was one of the ones I wrote months ago. I'm just now posting it, so it's not exactly new.**

**But it's new to you! So we'll count it as new!**

**Okay, this will be the last super-dooper quick update for a while. I've got online drivers ed to finnish, band camp music to practice, and end-of-course exams coming up. But it's all over in about a month! Then summer and I'll (hopefully) have more time. My mom is trying to keep me away from this because "it takes up too much time," but I can't stay away. I've fallen in love with these characters and I want to finnish the story, dangit!**

**And I happen to love writing Garrett the best :]. Here's a chapter where he messes up ever-so-slightly. Makes Kate stop for a second and remember that he is a man-killer after all. But maybe he can patch it up . . .**

* * *

Christmas came and went just as it always does for me—without notice. The trees and lights and gifts are just all human things that I have withdrawn myself from since . . . Well, since forever. When forever began to have a much bigger meaning for me.

I spent the next December days watching as Kate, Rosalie, and Emmett taught Bella the art of battle, showing her the technique any newborn wouldn't know without a teacher.

"You've got to be stronger, Bella," Emmett told her as he lifted himself off the ground, pulling Bella up by the arm. He pinned her to the ground in a matter of seconds.

"I don't think I've seen any Volturi as big as you, Emmett," Bella grunted, brushing off the dirt from her designer clothing.

"It's not only the Volturi that will be there—they usually bring others, too," Kate, being the voice of reason, told them.

"I just wish we knew how many . . ." Bella muttered.

Kate put her arm around Bella. "We miss Alice, too."

"Now," Emmett said, interrupting the touching scene, "let's get back to business." He slipped into a crouch, his mouth forming a menacing grin before a slight snarl rippled through his chest.

Rosalie sighed; Bella mimicked his stance.

They circled each other for a moment, then Emmett leaped for Bella, who dodged him quickly—but he came back behind her and took her down.

"Ugh," Bella grunted as she hit the ground.

"Be stronger, Bella. That's all I can say," Emmett informed her with a superior grin, obviously glad he could defeat a newborn.

"She can't get a whole lot stronger than she already is," Rosalie said.

"She could get quicker," I offered, stepping forward slightly. All heads snapped in my direction; they didn't know I was watching. "If you don't mind me saying."

"And how do you suppose we teach her that?" Kate asked, crossing her arms. She looked slightly aggravated at my advice, but I thought I saw her eyes dance when they met mine. But I imagined it.

"It's not exactly something you teach," I said when I gathered myself from her gaze, "mostly something you practice."

Bella looked intrigued. "How long? Do we have time?"

"I don't know—I never did it in a specific time frame. I guess we should get started." I made my way to the clearing they stood in.

"And if we don't have enough time?" Rosalie asked, annoyance in her voice. "It'll just be time wasted. Emmett, start again."

Emmett grinned and walked towards Bella, resuming attack position; Kate stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I think he's got a point," Kate told Rosalie. She looked at me. "Speed would help all of us."

I smiled. "I'll need a guinea pig."

"Got it." Emmett smiled tauntingly and stepped forward. I smiled in return, accepting the challenge.

"I guess we'll know if it's speed or strength, nomad," he growled, crouching. I did the same.

"I guess we will."

A hummingbird couldn't have flapped a wing in the time it took Emmett to come after me. He was fast, but I knew I was faster. I stepped to the side, my hands casually folded behind my back. Emmett stopped himself before he ran into the trees behind me, and I could hear his footsteps as he came racing back. I ran in the same direction, keeping only a few paces ahead. Emmett sped up as he chased me, but I stayed just as fast. Then, I ran a tight circle that Emmett couldn't follow, and came out behind him. I pounced on his back and pushed him into a tree, causing it to fall over. Before Emmett could pick himself up, I ran after him, showing the weak spots he left open. But he rolled to the side and tripped me, sending me into a large boulder. It cracked into two at the impact.

"So who won this one, nomad?" Emmett chuckled.

I stood up and wiped the dirt from my face. "Not bad, Cullen."

"Are you guys done yet?" Rosalie complained from the clearing. I hadn't noticed how far we ran—we were almost out of sight. But it hadn't taken long, only a couple of seconds. Maybe the big guy is faster than I thought.

"Okay, so Bella needs to get stronger," Emmett informed them. "Obviously, speed hasn't won this round."

"But how do we get her even stronger?" Rosalie asked. "She's a newborn—there's not much better in strength."

"There's always one way," I said. I was surprised when the four vampires looked to me in surprise; I thought it was obvious. "Human blood," I shrugged.

Bella looked terrified; Rosalie glared at me; Emmett looked down to the ground and shook his head; Kate just looked disapprovingly at me.

Oops.


End file.
